There Was An Idea
by Zenappa
Summary: We were ordinary people, ordinary friends who just wanted to see a movie together. There should have been nothing wrong with that. That is, until the impossible happened. We became extraordinary, we became the people we've been admiring since we were children, we became a part of the Marvel universe, and we were most certainly screwed. #1 in Marvel 2.0 Series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm so so happy to finally be bringing the stories of Emerald, Valencia and Pandora live and in action again, this time with a revamp and better plots all around. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of the first story of many to come. This is the Avengers like you've never seen them before. This is There Was An Idea.

Full Spotify Playlist: playlist/1ybjByQ3E1bwJl0yNzyrVx?si=gazXJPoaSLSAUt3pW8YPHw

* * *

 **There Was An Idea**

 **EMERALD**

Being an adult is hard.

Being a 24-year-old adult working in a restaurant in New York City is even harder.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my life, but sometimes it just felt like there was something missing. Something that I was missing out on. Something that I wasn't seeing. At the least, I was feeling a little down.

When my two oldest friends offered to come up and visit me for the summer, I definitely wasn't going to say no. Since we all went our separate ways throughout the years, it had been a long time since we were reunited. This summer, I was determined to turn everything around and make up for lost time.

It was only two days into our vacation that I learned just how much everything would change this summer.

I heard the pop of a champagne bottle before I even opened my eyes, slowly blinking in a desperate attempt to see.

"Emerald Maitland!" came the piercing scream from a room over.

I shook my head as I pulled myself together before I headed out into the kitchen to find the source of the problem.

"What the hell is going on?" I answered curtly before my eyes landed on Valencia Flint and Pandora Whitman, my two supposed best friends, who had just spilled champagne all over my kitchen floor. "Are you kidding me right now?"

Pandora gave me a sheepish grin. "We wanted to thank you for your hospitality so we bought you some champagne!" she announced.

"You're not even 21 yet," I said before I let a chuckle explode from my lips. I couldn't be mad at them, not when we hadn't been together like this in years.

Val brushed her blonde hair away from her eyes as she cleaned up the mess leaking on the tiles. "Trust me, I almost got kicked out of the liquor store just by having her with me," she complained. "Who knew they were so strict on the East Coast?"

"I would have warned you if I knew what the hell you were doing," I retorted.

We sat there in silence for a long time, drinking our mimosas. I couldn't help but keep a smile on my face as I just stared into the eyes of my friends.

"So," I broke the silence, clanging my glass on the countertop. "What's on the schedule for today?"

Pandora and Val exchanged brief glances, and I knew that I was probably going to regret asking that question.

"What."

I repeated my question in case I had said something wrong, raising an eyebrow to accompany my inquiry.

"I thought we could go to the movies," Val started to say, a flush creeping up on her cheeks.

I narrowed my eyes as Pandora threw me a knowing glance, daring me to guess what Val had in mind. I was already suspicious enough as it was.

There was another moment of brief silence before Pandora blurted out, "She wants to see her boyfriend again."

I burst out laughing immediately, realizing I should have guessed. Since The Avengers movie came out in May, all Val could talk about was Loki. Every single text I received was about his hair, his eyes, how he was misunderstood – the list continued forever.

"Alright alright fine," I conceded. "It's only the best movie ever."

The three of us had bonded over Marvel since we were young, amongst other things. We had all seen the movie separately when it first came out earlier this year, but seeing it together, I knew it was a good choice to start our three-month long vacation.

When we got to the movie theater, I immediately noticed how quiet it was. Agreed, it was one of the hottest summers on record and no one wanted to sit inside a movie theater all day, but it still seemed off to me. I turned to my friends to voice my opinion but immediately had cash thrown in my face to go buy popcorn with.

Even as I waited in line to buy food and drinks for myself and my friends, I couldn't hear kids whining or parents complaining. It was quiet.

"Did you get popcorn?" Pandora's voice screeched through the air first as my other two friends headed back from buying our tickets.

"I told her to get candy instead," Val instantly responded, shoving Pandora playfully to one side.

Pandora stopped in her tracks. "No popcorn for a movie?" she questioned. "Oh no, you don't get to make the decisions around here."

"Guys!" I practically had to shout at them. "No fighting today. I'll just get both."

It wasn't until we sat in our seats that I felt a breeze stir the hairs on the back of my arms. I shivered slightly, turning to my friends to see if they felt it too. It didn't bother me for a few moments until I realized what had just occurred. I jumped to my feet, my hair rising once more for a different reason. There were no windows in here, so there shouldn't have been any breeze.

Val and Pandora looked over at me like I had gone insane, and honestly, I thought I had.

"There's no one in here," I stammered. "Why is no one in here?"

"Because we are the only geeks who would see this movie ten times," Val said, grabbing a box of candy out from Pandora's hands.

I sauntered towards the front of the theater, despite my friend's protests, and felt a bad feeling creep up in the bottom of my stomach. The breeze grew stronger as I approached. As I glanced over my shoulder to call out to my friends, my words died in my throat.

The two of them were arguing over the snacks that were sitting in between them, but I tuned them out. I didn't have time for this right now.

"Can you two please cut it out?" I shouted.

They didn't.

I was standing right underneath the movie screen when the movie started to play on the screen. I refrained from swearing out loud, but my colorful mind was going a mile a minute. I tried to get the attention of my arguing friends once more, but I was caught in the middle.

My suspicions started to add up, and I think Pandora and Val finally noticed my uncertainly for I felt their presence behind me. However, as I reached out to touch the screen, I felt the breeze again. I knew I should yank my hand away, but my brain compelled me to stay put.

"Uh, guys."

That was the last thing I said before my hand touched the screen and everything went black.

Or at least, I convinced myself that my hand touched the screen because there was no way that my hand actually passed through the screen like it did.

I woke up on unfamiliar ground, disoriented from the passage of time, before the events of earlier came swarming back into my brain. This was just great. We were all passed out on the sticky movie theater ground with people probably staring at us and on top of it all, we probably weren't even going to get a refund.

I finally opened my eyes and realized that I wasn't in the movie theater anymore. After this realization, I frowned and struggled to sit up. My attempt to move failed, and I plopped back down on my back. If I wasn't in the theater anymore... where was I? And where exactly were Pandora and Val?

An annoying yet oddly familiar beeping sound overwhelmed my ears, and I groaned, turning my head to the side to see what it was. I expected to see an alarm clock or a phone. What I saw, however, was neither of these, nor anything else I could have possibly come up with. What I saw, lying next to me, was a Hammerdrone ready to self-destruct. I basically accepted this as the odd nightmare of a Marvel fanatic, and I closed my eyes again, ready to die in my dreams so I could wake up again in reality.

I never got that far.

A flash of red caught the edge of my eye, and I felt myself being swept upwards and into the air, almost like I was flying. My thoughts froze me to the core as I glanced upwards, nearly dying of shock immediately. I pinched myself quickly and felt a pain stabbing my arm, which could mean only one thing.

This was no dream.

I was being saved by Iron Man.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Centuries - Fall Out Boy

[Full Playlist Link located at the beginning of the first chapter.]


	2. Chapter 2

**VALENCIA**

I had always hated waking up. Waking up meant that the fun of the night was over, the magical feeling that I always had at dusk into the early morning hours had to end, and I would have to start another day over again. What I hated even more than just waking up was waking up in a twisted position on a hard, cold, unfamiliar surface with a headache. Even worse than that was waking up with all of the above symptoms to the rhythmic pounding of an ungodly loud hammer.

I turned my head to the side, prepared to tell off whoever was doing roofing work again, only to see a sight that almost had me blacking out for the second time. I made a mental note to revise my description of the perpetrating hammer. Right in front of my eyes was the god of thunder himself, wielding the godliest hammer in his hand, wailing on the surface of the Bifrost. Behind him was the god of mischief in the flesh, Loki. My brain registered in about half a second that this was the ending scene of Thor, my favorite movie at the current moment, but I was completely baffled as to how on earth, or Midgard as it would now be called, I got here.

"It's got to be a dream. It's a dream," I muttered to myself. That was the only explanation.

I felt foolish for thinking for even a second that this could really be real. I'd never accomplished a dream until this one where I knew I was dreaming, and I decided to have some fun with it. Somewhere in my subconscious, I could hear Em's snarky remarks, but I shut her out.

Neither Thor nor Loki had realized that I was in their presence yet, so I took advantage of watching the end of my favorite movie for the millionth time, now with the full 3D experience. It was only when Thor hit the Bifrost for the second last time and I felt the shock waves against my body that I felt that something might be wrong.

The shards that came next amplified that feeling tenfold. Little bits of what felt like glass but were something far more dangerous and sturdier flew at me, and on instinct I covered my face with my hands. The shards of what I assumed was the close to broken Bifrost penetrated the skin on my palms with one sharp stinging pain after another. Some went into my arms and legs, and others pierced my face where my small hands didn't cover. Fortunately, nothing went into my eyes or mouth, so I wasn't in critical condition. It was enough to shake me though.

Another realization dawned on me, this one sending shock throughout my entire body. It felt like a temporary paralysis had settled throughout my veins. I didn't have the heart to pinch my arm to wake myself up, but now I knew. I just took about a hundred of shards of Bifrost to the hands, body and face, and if that didn't wake me up…

I felt myself going into a state of hyperventilation, and I barely had a moment to breathe before the impact of Loki and Thor's combined strength against the Bifrost propelled me backwards even farther than the last hit had. My stomach dropped to my feet as I felt my legs lose contact with the ground and fly out into the open space over the edge. My face hit the bridge's surface, and I clawed desperately at the smooth surface to avoid falling into the void. That reality check made my heart hammer in my chest with a force to rival Mjolnir's.

I somehow heaved myself up and looked on at a horrifying sight. I'd seen it so many times on my high definition TV, but it was so much worse to watch in person. I knew what was coming here, and no one else did. Even though I was standing right where the action was taking place, I could do nothing to stop it as Loki's hand slipped from Thor's as they were hanging over the edge. There was a second where, as I was peering over the edge, our eyes connected, and then he was gone.

I have officially lost it.

"You've lost what?"

A voice startled me. I hadn't realized that I had spoken the last part out loud.

Big blue eyes stared into my own, and I screamed and jumped back a little. For the second time, I almost fell over the edge. A strong hand caught my arm and pulled me back up to land about five feet from where I had started. I'd never met anyone who could pull me off a cliff and throw me that far with one hand and not even become unbalanced in the slightest. Either this was Thor Odinson, or I was officially checking myself into a mental hospital as soon as I woke up for 'disturbing dreams, illusions, and inner voices.'

"My apologies, I meant no harm," Thor said. I could tell that he was affected by Loki's fall into the void and was struggling to remain this polite.

A second later, I glanced over Thor's shoulder, locking eyes with Odin, the King of Asgard himself. I hadn't even noticed he was there before now, but the sight only made my stomach churn more. It seemed the Allfather felt the same way about me as one look at his face was enough to know that he didn't want to deal with me right now.

"Thor. Bring her inside, we'll question her later."

Thor bowed his head once to his father and turned to me. He stammered before he spoke, "I am terribly sorry that you had to see all of this. And you are?"

It took me a second to respond. "Uh, Valencia. Valencia Flint."

"Well, Lady Valencia, you've picked a terrible time to come here."

As I looked around at the broken Bifrost, Odin's hunched over frame walking back to the golden halls of his palace, and Thor's broken face at the loss of his brother, I had a pretty good understanding of what he meant.

"I know," I said and closed my eyes, wishing to be worlds away from here.

As I opened my eyes, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It was a dream, after all. I was a little surprised to find that I wasn't passed out on the floor of the movie theater though, where I was when I hit the screen and blacked out from hitting the ground. I supposed that Pandora or Emerald had taken me back to Em's while I was unconscious.

I sat up in the bed only to find that I was covered in a golden sheet in a room that was plated with metal walls of the same color. I groaned. I must have blacked out from shock on the bridge. My breath caught in my chest again, and I fought the urge to hyperventilate.

Before too much distress settled over me, a blond head appeared in the doorway. "You're awake." I jumped, startled at the god of thunder's unannounced entrance.

"Obviously," I shot back.

"I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect," Thor replied as he entered the room. "You're from Midgard, aren't you? This has to be a shock for you, I can relate to being thrown in a strange place. Why, just recently-"

I cut him off quickly. "Are you real? Is this a dream?" I snapped.

Thor looked at me in confusion and gave a nervous laugh. "Of course, this is real. You're in Asgard," he said before pausing for a moment. "Are you real?"

I'd studied a lot about space and what lies beyond the reaches of the known universe during my research, and it wasn't completely implausible that there was life on another planet that had become more advanced than we had. It was likely, even, that someone had gained the ability to traverse the universes and had been seen by early people on earth, thus resulting in them being treated as gods. As reluctant as I was to admit it, this crazy situation was beginning to make a little sense.

It took some time for my brain to process this new information before I realized that Thor was waiting for me to respond. "Oh," I stuttered. "Yes. Yes, I'm real. You're real. I must have gotten pulled through the Bifrost when you were beating it up." I shook my head. "How can I get home?"

Thor's face grew serious. "You can't return to Midgard yet, not with the Bifrost in its current state," he said slowly.

"So, when are you going to get around to fixing it?"

The look on Thor's face was enough answer for me.

I was stuck here forever. Worse, I was completely alone with no idea what had happened to my friends in the wormhole of sorts that had occurred in the theatre.

I think I scared Thor away for I spent the rest of the day wandering around the golden city alone. No one else seemed interested in talking to me, and honestly, I couldn't blame them. A mortal in a city of immortals wasn't the most interesting visitor they've seen.

Without really knowing why, I felt my feet automatically put me on a course for the Bifrost. The long walk to the end seemed to take ages, and unfortunately, it gave me time to think.

I had finally come to terms with the fact that this was real, as hard as it was to believe. But now, I had no idea what had happened to Em and Pandora after I had been thrown into this mess, and I didn't have any idea what was coming next. So far, the events seemed to match up with that of the Thor movie, but I had come here at the end. I didn't like unpredictability or change, and in a matter of minutes, I was going to have both in my life.

I had finally reached the end of the bridge to where Heimdall was still keeping watch. He didn't even have to turn around to realize my obvious distress.

"I can see them."

This got my attention. "You can see who?"

"Your companions. The blonde and the red one. They are on Midgard, though not where you would expect them. Do not worry too much, they are safe for now."

I breathed a sigh of relief, letting out tension I'd had since I first got here. "Thank you," I said and turned away from the god.

I walked a little way down the Bifrost away from the broken edge and sat down on the side, my legs dangling into space. Even though Heimdall had said not to worry about the other two, they had no one to tell them not to worry about me. I hoped they were together, wherever they were.

I don't remember how long I sat there, staring down into the stars, but I was forced to look up when a shadow fell over my legs. I squinted upwards, noticing the familiar blond hair and muscular arms, and moved my gaze back into the galaxy below my legs without saying anything.

"So," Thor began, taking a seat next to me. "You're from Midgard. Did you ever meet a scientist by the name of Jane Foster?"

I wasn't exactly sure how to answer that question. I wasn't even sure Jane existed in my version of Earth.

"No, I'm sorry," I answered truthfully. "I'm from a land called New York." I could practically feel Thor's face falling next to me.

He paused for a second before continuing like my answer hadn't phased him at all. "Maybe it's for the best that she's stuck there while I'm up here - I wouldn't like to think what would have happened if she ever met with Loki." I frowned at the mention of Thor's brother.

"He's a man in pain, you know. He just wanted a family, and boy was that hard for him. I think that's why he was so angry before."

Thor looked at me inquisitively. His eyebrows were raised at my using the present tense to talk about the fallen god. "How do you know so much about my brother?" he finally asked.

I sighed. "I suppose I'm just a good people reader," I said. "I had a sister once. She died too. That's how I know."

I never liked to talk about her, and to be honest, I wasn't sure why those words just spilled from my lips.

Desperate to change the subject, another thought flew across my brain. If the end of the Thor movie that I knew just happened, wasn't the Avengers about to come next? I didn't know how long of a gap there was in between the two movies, and for a moment, I wish I had Em's near-freakish knowledge of Marvel trivia. It only lasted a moment.

When Thor returned to Earth to join the others, I was going to be there too whether anyone liked it or not. The only way to ensure my safety against the upcoming Chitari army was to learn how exactly to keep myself safe.

"Teach me how to fight."

The words exploded from my lips as Thor struggled with something to say to respond to my dead sister comment. He opened and closed his mouth several times as he tried to formulate my sudden change in subject.

I mean, it was a pretty outlandish thought, but it needed to be done if I had any shot of ever returning to Earth. I was already making a mental list of arguments to convince the god to go along with the idea, but my request had been conveyed with an underlying plea for true help because he agreed - no arguments needed.

"Alright. I believed in Sif, the first maiden who was able to become a warrior, and I have now heard stories of famous maiden warriors in your realm. Gone are the times when women were made to cook and clean, this is a time of women who can fight! You managed to be brought here before the Bifrost was broken, that means that you must be stronger than most. I can't teach you how to wield Mjolnir, however. I only have one."

Of course, Thor would instantly jump to the stupid hammer. Bashing things in isn't really my style anyway.

"How about sword fighting? Can you teach me that?"

Thor laughed. "You have spirit in you and a will to learn! When do we start?"

I glanced down again at the sparkling stars below my feet. My friends were down there somewhere with a war ready to break at any second, now that Loki had fallen. I had to help them.

"Now."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Broken Bones - CHVRCHES

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	3. Chapter 3

**PANDORA**

Waking up in the hospital was not on my bucket list.

I groaned, running my hands through my red hair, shaking my head. This was not a great way to start my vacation. I tried lifting my head up to look around the room I was placed into, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. I honestly couldn't tell. Even though I had grown up not far from here, New York City was still an unfamiliar place to me. Val and Em were always the ones running around, ready to explore.

Speaking of.

I let out a disgruntled huff as I collapsed back on the bed, covered in white sheets. In the movies, they made yanking out IVs and running out of hospitals so easy, but every time I glanced at the needle in my arm, I felt nauseous.

About twenty minutes passed. I studied the oh-so-intriguing patterns on the ceilings, counting the scratches and dents up to the hundreds. It was only then that the door swung open. I held my hand in front of my face with another groan, the light from the hallway instantly blinding me.

The only thought that came over my brain at that exact moment, however, was that I should probably figure out where exactly I was.

The young man that sauntered in my room was not the most pleasant person ever. He donned a long white coat and glasses, frantically combing his brown hair as if he was running from one place to the next. He darted over to my side in a matter of seconds, and I gave him an irritated look. If he was my doctor, I was going to kill myself.

"What's your name, miss?" he asked, clipboard at the ready.

"Uh, P-Pandora. Pandora Whitman," I replied.

He nodded slowly, checking off some things on his list as his eyes darted from me and back to the clipboard. "I'm your doctor," he announced, nodding again.

Dammit.

"Where is your residence?" he continued, not even giving me a chance to talk back to him.

"San Francisco but I'm in New York City now, living with my friend for the summer." I stopped talking and held my hands up in the air. "Where exactly am I?"

"So, you were in the area today?"

It was like I was invisible.

I groaned. "If this is New York City, then yes."

"Do-"

I wasn't going to let him ask another question. "How did I get here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"You don't remember?"

I resisted the urge to strangle this man where he stood. "If I remembered, I wouldn't be asking you," I all but growled.

The doctor put a confused expression on his face as he jotted some notes down on his clipboard. I was going to break that damn thing if he scribbled on it again. "Hmm interesting," he commented, and I huffed again.

"Seriously? Can't you just tell me? I blacked out at a movie theater somewhere, and now I'm here."

He looked down at me like I was a specimen. "I can go ask the nurses if they brought you in at all." I gestured for him to go, like he should've done twenty minutes ago, but immediately called him back.

"Can you unhook these?" I lifted my arms up, cringing at the wires and needles that stuck out of them. This was why I hated hospitals.

The doctor even had the nerve to roll his eyes. "I suppose," he said. "But don't get any ideas about running off. We still have more tests to do before we can release you."

I complied with his requests until he exited the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, I leapt to my feet, examining myself and my newfound freedom. My "idea about running off" had been implanted in my head far before he even suggested it. So long asshole.

I didn't have any injuries that I noticed or felt, so my self-diagnosis was pretty good. Step two, find my friends.

Upon finding the waiting room, my hope that Em and Val would be sitting there waiting for me vanished from my head. There was no one there that even glanced up when I entered. Okay, strike one.

The receptionists were no help either. They claimed that there was no one under their names, but I was getting suspicious. If we were all at the movie theater together, it seemed like common sense that we would have ended up here together. But still, my breath caught in my throat as the nauseous feeling returned. Em and Val wouldn't have left without me, so that only left one other option. They were taken by force.

I chewed on my lower lip before I heard the screeching of tires right outside the window. I didn't know what floor I was on of the hospital, probably around the 6th, but as soon as I glanced out the window and saw the black cars on the streets below, I knew that I was in trouble.

"Hey!" came a shout from behind, and I looked around, glancing straight in the direction of my doctor. I swore rather loudly and took off running, not even bothering to stop and think about what exactly the cars were doing in the middle of Times Square.

I recognized the tall colorful buildings immediately and I had some bearings as to where I was, but that was no help as to where Em and Val were.

I headed down the first flight of stairs I could find, skipping over steps and racing as fast as I could. I could feel my pulse racing as I struggled to escape from this hospital that I didn't even need to be in in the first place.

As I finally reached the ground floor, I all but tore my arm off as I yanked open the door. However, as I took one step outside, I froze at the sight in front of me.

It wasn't the cars that made my blood chill; it was the man standing in the middle of it all. Two men but naturally, my eyesight only happened upon one of them.

I only heard four little words, ones that always managed to crush my heart every time he said them, and I knew that I wasn't imagining things.

"I had a date."

Steve Rogers, aka the one and only Captain America, turned around where he stood in the middle of Times Square and glanced around at the sea of people. We locked eye contact for a single second, and I could see a slight frown enter his facial features as he noticed that I was staring directly at him. We were in Times Square with a million different people snapping pictures and gawking at the entire situation. To be perfectly honest, this probably wasn't the most bizarre thing for tourists to see in Times Square.

Nonetheless, here I was, the weird girl with the bright red hair and hospital gown. It was impossible for Steve not to notice me.

We weren't so different after all.

I didn't get the chance to dwell on the fact, however, before the shouts grew stronger from behind them. The doctors were really persistent.

"Hey!" my doctor continued to cry, pointing in my direction. "Stop that girl!"

I continued to push past the crowds who were beginning to stop and stare in my direction, using all the force I could possibly get from within. I wasn't about to go to jail when I didn't even know where I was. Sure, I was in New York City but in my world, Captain America wasn't standing in the middle of the street, talking to SHIELD Director Nick Fury.

I didn't get as far as I would have hoped, as I felt a strong hand grip my arm. I swore again, spinning around to glare at whoever dared to stop me, but my mouth only dropped open.

"Oh my god," I breathed out as I stared up into Steve Rogers's bright blue eyes. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything.

I glanced over his shoulder as the doctors were gaining on me. I gave him an apologetic look before trying to wrench my arm out of his grasp unsuccessfully, as much as I wanted to just stare at him all day.

"I have to go," I said softly, not sure where my words were coming from. "Please."

Steve only shook his head, tightening his grip on my arm. "Why are they chasing you?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

I got it. He was a hero, and someone called for help. Immediately, he sprang into action, but seriously, this was not the time.

"Apparently, they didn't like me checking myself out of their hospital," I said with a shrug. "I'm not crazy, I'm not hurt, I just need to go."

He continued to stare at me further, narrowing his eyes as he tried to make out whether I was telling the truth or not. His grip tightened even more, causing me to wince slightly. There would be bruises tomorrow, but honestly, I didn't care. Captain America could give me bruises any day-

I stopped my thoughts where they started to wander. Now was most definitely not the time for this.

Steve didn't say another word for several moments as he never moved his gaze from mine, naturally making me squirm. I didn't blame him. I barely introduced myself, and here I was, seemingly appearing out of nowhere with so much knowledge that I had no clue what to do with.

Another second passed before I yanked my arm out of his grasp, half dislocating my shoulder in the process. Steve's hand retracted from my arm as he nodded in my direction. I hoped this wasn't the last I saw of him, but at this moment in time, I needed to go and I needed to go now.

I ran a few feet before he called out to me once more. "Who even are you?" he asked.

"Pandora," I called over my shoulder breathlessly. "Pandora Whitman!"

I managed to lose the doctors a few blocks down, shedding off my overcoat and ducking under umbrellas and store overhangs. I was lucky this was New York City.

I tried to wrap my head around what had just occurred to me, but nothing was ringing even remotely a bell. I had to be dreaming or hallucinating or... maybe it was the drugs that the hospital had injected into me. That had to be it. His grip, however, was still firmly imprinted into my skin, and I looked down at my forearm, chewing my lower lip. He couldn't have been real.

I had no idea about anything anymore.

If somehow I ended up in the midst of Captain America's plotline, where was Val and Em? Were they here too or were they already elsewhere? At least that was comforting that they weren't kidnapped, but honestly, I wasn't entirely sure which was worse at this moment.

As soon as I was positive that I had lost the doctors and nurses, leaving them far behind, I collapsed on a nearby park bench to catch my breath. My breaths came in small gasps until I heard the bench creak once more as someone sat down next to me.

I had an awful feeling that I had screwed up once more.

"Please go away," I begged, not sure if my heart could handle this. Literally.

Steve only sat there, leaning back against the cold park bench and staring at me. "Why were you staring at me?" he questioned which only made me groan.

I sighed. "Because you're Captain America, okay? I'm kind of a nerd."

"And you just recognized me like that?"

I didn't have the time for this. I simply stared off into the distance with a small huff, shaking my head and not answering his persistent questions.

He finally seemed to get the hint and took a minor lapse in silence. I could tell that he was processing as much as I was. I couldn't blame him - he had just been thrust into a new world that he knew absolutely nothing about. In a way, so did I.

I turned to the man sitting next to me, the man I had idolized since I first started watching movies, with a shake of my head. I knew I shouldn't get myself more involved, but my mouth seemed to move without my permission.

"You saved the country," I broke the awkward silence with an even more awkward statement.

He glanced over at me, and I could see the sadness resting in his gaze. Fury wasn't far behind the super soldier, simply folding his arms across his chest as he stared at the two of us together. I wasn't sure how much he knew, so I was wary to say too much.

"I crashed a plane."

I knew the sadness was raw grief that he had simply survived, and even though I disagreed with his choice, I knew it was his to make and his alone. He had saved the world. He had helped to win the war. That had to count for something.

I ran my fingers through my short hair, trying to find something - anything - to say. "You did what you had to do," I murmured under my breath.

Steve must have summed up the fact that I knew all of this to public knowledge. He was Captain America, after all, but I didn't say anything more on the topic. Truthfully, I knew a lot more than the general public and especially whatever general public this was.

"I left behind the only people that-"

I knew where this conversation was going, and I couldn't handle it. "Please. It's an adjustment, and frankly, it's one for me too." I trailed off for a moment. "I'm not quite from around here either."

Steve shot me a curious look but didn't say anything more.

I continued, "Well, obviously, you take the cake in this situation. I mean, I have no idea what you're going through and it must suck and I can't even begin to think about-" I cut myself off from babbling even further. "I'm from a different place than here. I'm not quite sure what to make of New York City."

This New York City, I added silently.

Suddenly, a wave of homesickness overcame me. Not of San Francisco, but of New York. The New York that I knew. Even though I was still there, I missed my friends. And this movie was made a while ago. Even if I could find the movie theater, the chances of me finding my friends were next to nothing.

I was alone, and the only friend that I sort of made in this new world was Captain America. Fantastic. I was off to a great start.

We lapsed once more into a fit of silence, only broken when Nick Fury sauntered over with a very annoyed look on his face.

"Pandora Whitman." I instantly stood up and offered him my hand. "Not a terrorist."

Apparently, Fury wasn't in a joking mood. He never touched my hand that I had offered for him to shake and simply gave me a blinding stare.

"Alright."

I nodded and clapped my hands together. I started to walk away to let the two men discuss whatever they needed to talk about, but I didn't get very far.

"Miss Whitman," drawled the SHIELD director, forcing me to stop in my tracks. "Why are you here?"

I could take the hint.

"No," Fury swept on before I could even open my mouth. "Why are you in New York City just as we show up?"

I suppose I couldn't blame it on coincidence.

I bit my lip slowly, "Because I'm from San Francisco and-" That made absolutely no sense, and Fury sensed the issue. He narrowed his eyes, completely ignoring Steve now.

"So how did you end up in New York then?"

If he had only listened.

"I'm here for the summer!" I protested. "I was at a movie theater, I passed out, woke up in a hospital and now I'm here."

"So, it's a coincidence that you and Steve Rogers ended up in the exact same place at the exact same time?"

I gave the director an incredulous look as he twisted my words. "We're just two really lost people," I said. "Just leave me alone."

And with that, I slowly walked away and sat on a corner of Times Square by myself. After one heated conversation later, Steve walked over to me. Fury had left him alone, and I knew that the conversation probably didn't end very well. There was nothing anyone could do in situations like these.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," I responded easily as if we were long lost friends.

"Well, since we both don't know what to do, let's figure this out," Steve commented, nodding his head. "Together."

That part shocked me. Why was he trusting a stranger that he had just met? I tilted my head to one side, shaking it curiously. He seemed to know the question burning at the forefront of my brain, for he only smiled in my direction. "I have a great sense of trust," he added. "You seem to be the only one who understands me right now, and I don't... I don't know anyone else."

I nodded. He was the only one I could trust right now too. I didn't even know what this was anymore. He held out a strong hand for me to get to my feet, and I accepted it graciously.

"Step one?" I asked, unable to keep my eyes away from his.

"Find a place to stay?"

"Fury's got it," I said with a smirk, planning on using the director's resources to the fullest. It didn't even register that Fury had never introduced himself to me directly. I just hoped Steve didn't catch on. "Next?"

"Figure out what the hell happened."

I had a feeling that it would be a little more complicated than step one. He was right, however scary this may be to me. We had to stick together.

I had no other choice.


	4. Chapter 4

**EMERALD**

I was way out of my league.

Embarrassingly, I have had several dreams about what it would be like to meet Tony Stark, but nothing could have prepared me for this moment.

If someone had asked me to describe the emotions that were banging around my system at the moment, the only one that came to mind was nauseous. Whether it was due to the speed that we were flying at this height, the fact that I was being carried by Iron Man himself, or perhaps a mixture of both, I still felt like I was going to vomit all over the innocent bystanders below us.

"Hey."

I almost jumped straight out of Tony's arms as his electronic voice came to life outside of my eardrums. He gripped onto my arms tighter, keeping me from tumbling onto the ground below.

"Are you alright?" he continued. "You look like you're either going to vomit or pass out."

Well, he wasn't wrong.

I suppressed the urge to let my eyes roll back in my head and let sleep retake me. Perhaps if I fell back asleep, I wouldn't be as embarrassed when I woke up. The wind blowing in my face had a different idea, however.

"I-I'm fine," I stammered, trying my hardest not to look down at the millions of miles that lay between me and the cold, hard ground. "Just a little disorientated is all."

I was surprised at how well I was able to lie when it felt like my heart was hammering out of my chest. I could play off the fact that I was acting like a complete lunatic to the concept that I had almost died from a bomb, rather than the new reality that I was faced with.

As I tried very hard not to think about how I had somehow ended up here, another thought plagued my mind, one that almost caused me to tumble out of Tony's arms yet again.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed out loud, my mind immediately switching gears to the exact scene that I was in. "Where's Pepper? Where the hell is Pepper?"

This was the prelude to my favorite scene where Tony saves Pepper from death by Hammerdrone and they end up finally admitting their feelings for each other on a certain rooftop. However, none of that would even remotely be a possibility if Pepper was never saved in the first place – hence the exclamation that nearly got me killed again.

"Calm down!" Tony shouted. "She's fine! Colonel Rhodes got her out of harm's way before anything could happen." There was a pause, and I could sense the question burning on his lips before the words tumbled out. "How did you know where Pepper was going to be?"

I didn't have an excuse for that one just yet.

In fact, I barely even registered his question as I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly without saying a word. There was a lot to process here. Somehow, I had managed to end up in the middle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Somehow, I had managed to end up right in the arms of Tony Stark. And somehow, I had already managed to screw up the timeline.

So far, things were going great.

"Uh," I finally found the words to respond. "It's a long story. I would just feel better if we could go to where she is."

He nodded before boosting his power and flying in a known direction. "Your wish is my command," was all he said before we relapsed into silence.

As out of character as that was for Tony, I didn't mind. My mind was still whirling from what had occurred in just these past ten minutes, and I didn't even have time to think about where Val and Pandora could be. The last thing I remembered was the three of us crashing into the movie screen. I only hoped that I wasn't the only one who passed through. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get through this alone.

We landed safe on the rooftop, and as much as Tony tried to set me down gently, I still ended up tumbling out of his arms. He pulled off his sparking helmet and knelt to offer a hand towards me, but an exclamation tore him away from my gaze. I shook my head, gesturing for him to go towards the sound of Pepper's voice. I was fine, really. I was fine, right?

"Thank God," I heard Pepper breathe out in relief as she wrapped her arms around Tony's neck.

I turned away, placing a hand over my still hammering heart. After quickly pinching myself to make sure I was still awake, I got to my feet, my legs still wobbly from the flight. I leaned against the nearby wall and rested my head against the bricks. As I breathed in and out slowly, I tried hard not to eavesdrop on my favorite couple, but I honestly didn't know how to get off this roof. I wasn't about to interrupt this.

That is, until I heard a new phrase that I hadn't memorized from this scene before.

"You know this is never going to work, don't you?"

What.

My eyes flew open as I found Tony and Pepper facing each other against the darkening sky. This was most definitely not part of the movie, and this was most definitely not supposed to happen. Unfortunately, I had a sneaky feeling that this was because of me.

"I know," Tony continued solemnly. "You're everything I have Pepper, and I can't lose you."

She smiled back. "You're all I have too, you know. You're a great man Tony Stark, and I promise you will find someone who deserves all of you."

Whatever the end of that conversation was, I didn't hear it. My heart leapt into my throat, and I found myself gasping for air. Stumbling against the brick wall, I didn't even notice when my back smacked against the stones. This couldn't be happening.

I had just ended one of the most infamous Marvel couples in history, and I was only here for ten minutes. I had to get out of here before I caused any more damage.

The only question was… where.

As I quietly made to the other side of the roof, looking for a fire escape or anything to get me away from this, I felt a tug in my heart. I had to find Val and Pandora before anything else happened, no matter how much it pained me to walk away from this. I had to fix this.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Tony's voice frosted my blood in my veins as I came to terms with the fact that my stealth probably wasn't so stealthy.

I turned around with a fake smile plastered to my face. "Thanks for the ride," I said as calmly as I could. "But it's time for me to leave now."

"I never got your name," he continued as I made to leave again.

Sighing with exasperation, I abandoned my efforts to climb down the side of the fire escape and stood up straight. "Emerald Maitland," I responded, holding out my hand for him to shake.

As Tony placed his metal-cladded hand in mine, a chill blew down my spine. This was it. I had introduced myself to one of the most influential persons in the universe. Granted, there was no guarantee that he would remember it in the morning, but as of now, it was official. I was officially a character in this story.

"I would introduce myself," Tony said with a tiny smile, "but I have a feeling that you already know who I am."

"Tony Stark."

It wasn't a question but a statement.

There was an awkward pause that lapsed between us as I continued to avoid his gaze. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say, and I wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve from this conversation. "Uh, well," I coughed. "Thank you for saving my life. I'm sure I owe you one."

"I've already killed way too many innocent people in my life," was all he responded with. "I have enough blood on my hands."

For once, I had no idea what to say. I had thought about this moment for years, but this information presented itself in a fashion that I barely recognized. So, I heaved another sigh and remained silent. Tony, as uncomfortable as he was, cleared his throat and took another step towards me.

"So, where were you trying to escape to without saying goodbye?" he questioned relentlessly.

I ran my hands through my hair, stepping away from the ledge. Honestly, other than finding Val and Pandora, I had no idea where to even start. For the first time, my chest felt like it was caving into itself. Upon opening my mouth to respond to the billionaire, however, my words froze on my tongue.

Tony merely raised an eyebrow at my lack of response, a smirk appearing on his lips. "I thought as much," he stated, not waiting for me to finish thinking of another lie.

"I-I'm not really from around here," I revealed quietly. "I just – you've helped me enough."

Tony didn't even change his expression. "You do know that I have a suit that can fly you anywhere you want, right?" he asked.

I didn't exactly think that one through.

"Listen," I said, thinking fast on my feet. "I just got fired from my job, a very secret job, and uh- I don't know if they want me dead or alive or.." I trailed off for a moment, allowing my very real emotions to play into my story. "I don't know where I'm supposed to be."

I looked up into Tony's eyes. A single tear slipped down my cheek as I began to realize that whatever situation I had found myself in was very permanent. Quickly wiping it away with the back of my hand, I turned away from him, heaving another deep sigh.

"Do you believe in fate?"

I lifted my head at his question, not turning back around to face him. "I suppose," I answered quietly.

"Whatever happened to you happened for a reason."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay Professor Stark," I retorted.

"What I'm trying to say is that I think we were supposed to meet," he continued, "and I have plenty of spare rooms for you to stay in while you figure out what comes next."

This was exactly everything I wanted and yet, I knew if that I went with him, I would only screw more things up.

"I can't do that," I breathed out, glancing over my shoulder at him. "You don't even know me."

"I know that you were supposed to die in that building, but you didn't. You have a chance at a second life, to do whatever you want. Take it from someone who got a redo button as well."

I bit my lip, struggling to keep my emotions at bay. "I don't know what comes next," I admitted, turning around to face him again.

"You don't have to figure that out right now," he said. "Bunk with me and Pep tonight, and you can figure the rest out later." A smirk appeared on his lips, and I knew that I was going to be a goner. How could I pass up this chance?

I hadn't even figured out that Pepper and Rhodey were no longer on the rooftop with us until I started looking around my surroundings. I supposed if I was going to figure any of this out, I might as well have a genius billionaire on my side.

Tilting my head to one side, I asked one more question before I caved into his wishes. "Why do you trust me?" I questioned.

Tony's smile only grew wider on his face. "You remind me a lot of myself," he responded without even hesitating. "Besides, I've invited a terrorist into my house before. I have measures for that."

An involuntary chuckle exploded from my lips before I nodded slowly towards him. "Alright, one night," I relented.

"One night," he repeated.

It was not even a second later that he had wrapped his arm around my waist, and we were flying back into the night.

For the first time since I entered this strange new world, I felt calm. Whatever happened next, I had a starting point. I had someone who trusted me. I had a way to fix things, and I was going to make damn sure that I wasn't going to get any more involved than I already was.

Whatever possessed me to think that, however, was proven wrong as soon as I walked in the door to Tony's home.

"Shit," I swore as I sauntered into the first room in the building to see the man in charge, Nick Fury, himself standing in the room and staring in my direction.

"Who the hell are you?" the director of SHIELD questioned, and I lost my voice for a moment.

"Em-Emerald Maitland," I stammered. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

He looked me up and down for several moments before the frown deepened on his face. "Why the hell are you in Stark's house?" he followed up his question with another question.

There was something else written on his face, something that I couldn't quite read. It almost looked like panic, but then again, I had never seen Fury panicked before. I pushed the bad feeling aside, wringing my hands together as I did so.

"I'm just staying the night," I explained, figuring it would be best not to lie to this man. "It's been a long day, I was fired from my job, and I'm homeless right now." I gave a small nod to relieve the tension in the room, hoping the horrible expression from Fury's face would fade. It didn't.

"Where exactly are you from Miss Maitland?" he questioned after two minutes of uncomfortable silence.

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to think of a way to divert the question without outright lying to this man. "New York," I finally agreed on.

"And what are you doing here in California?"

He kept pounding me with the questions like he didn't really believe me. I didn't blame him. I hadn't thought a cover story completely through.

"I honestly don't know, sir," I replied truthfully.

"Funny, I was just in New York a couple of hours ago, and I just had a similar case, only backwards now that I think about it. I met a girl that was from California but somehow ended up in New York – only she had a plausible explanation."

My head snapped up at the director's comment. "What was her name?" I all but spluttered. Could it be- I couldn't afford to get my hopes up.

"So, you do know something," Fury stated, catching me in my lie.

I didn't have time for these games. "What's her name?" I repeated. There wasn't an immediate response, and I heaved a loud sigh. "Listen," I continued. "Do you want to know how much I know or should I just keep it to myself and leak some information about the Avengers Initiative to the public?"

Honestly, I had no idea what possessed me to enter these dangerous waters or what the hell I thought I was doing. What I did know, though, was that I was getting severely desperate.

The director stared at me for several moments, processing what I said, before he sighed. "Pandora Whitman."

At the confirmation of what I had suspected, I wasn't sure whether to be elated or concerned. At least I knew that Pandora and Valencia were here too. At the very least, I knew I wasn't alone.

If I had ended up in Malibu with Tony Stark, Pandora had most likely ended up in New York with Captain America, post-frozen state. So, where the hell was Val? And what had they changed too?

My breath caught in my throat as I struggled to find words again. What the hell was happening to us.

Fury tapped his foot impatiently, and I snapped back to reality. I looked up at him, and I knew my expression had become broken and scared. His expression, however, hadn't changed one bit, even at the sight of me. "I'm waiting," he said.

"I'm from New York City," I began, not exactly sure how to explain everything to the director. "I blacked out at a movie theater and when I woke up, I was laying on the ground next to a Hammerdrone. That's the truth, Director Fury."

"Then tell me Miss Maitland, how did you get all the way across the country, and how exactly do you know about the Avengers Initiative?"

I bit my lip. I really didn't have explanations for these questions, and I broke into a sweat.

"Ah!" Tony exclaimed as he entered the room. "I see you've met my newest friend, Emerald Maitland." I could have kissed him. I had never been so happy to see someone in my entire life.

Fury switched his gaze from staring into my soul to staring into Tony's, and I never felt more relieved to be given time to think about where the hell I was going with this.

"I need to talk to you," Fury snapped.

Tony shrugged, opening his arms wide. "Well, you've got me," he replied.

"Alone."

Tony threw me an apologetic look, but I barely noticed it. A horrible idea crossed my mind, and I knew that I had to run with it before I changed my approach. "It's about the Avengers Initiative," I blurted out.

In an instant, both men in the room had their undivided attention trained on me. I swallowed my pride, immediately regretting opening my mouth in the first place. However, this was the answer to the question I had been asking since I made up the story about getting fired. Except now, I had a place in mind.

"How do you know about that?" Tony asked curiously.

Fury, on the other hand, gave me a seething look for speaking up again. I was embarking in dangerous territory, but I had a plan. I had an edge over the director for now, and I was going to find my friends if it was the last thing I did.


	5. Chapter 5

**VALENCIA**

If there was one positive thing that came out of my time on Asgard, it was my ability to wield a sword. Well, at the very least, I knew how to properly hold one, and how to not-so-properly throw it to the ground in a fit of rage.

Upon doing the latter, I let out a scream at the top of my lungs. I was covered in sweat, covered in bruises, and almost covered in blood. There were side effects to sparring with a god for sure, and it wasn't even the one I'd wanted.

Annoyingly perfect as always, Fandral was standing in front of me. He never sweat, and my performance was so pathetic that his hair was still perfectly styled, not a wisp out of place. Sometimes, I wished I could slap him – actually, most days.

"You mortals are so dramatic," he sagely remarked, swinging his sword around. "You should treasure every second of your short life, not become aggravated as easily as you do."

I threw him a look of hatred, although I didn't entirely mean it. Fandral was the only one of the Warriors Three who would even bother to train with me when Thor was away. Hogun and Volstagg laughed and drank with me at dinners, but they never volunteered to show me how to wield their axes and morning stars. Sif, on the other hand, only shot me glares every chance she could get.

"I know that better than anyone," I said with a sigh. "I mean, look where I am right now. If I didn't believe in Asgard, I would think I'm dead right now." I paused, giving him another look. "I don't really need a deep, inspiring speech, but thanks."

Fandral frowned at my remarks. "All the same, words can bring down kings. You shouldn't be as treated as lightly as you are."

There it was again.

I was the elephant in the room, and I never felt more alone amongst these immortal beings.

I looked away from our sparring session, biting my lip with sadness. Not for the first time, my mind wandered to the summer I was supposed to be having – not this illusion. Drinking mead and drinking mimosas didn't seem too different, but when I was suddenly abandoned on a foreign planet, the little differences mattered a lot more than usual.

I sat down on the stone steps, picking up my sword with a gentler ease and set it down next to me. It wasn't until I placed my head in my hands that I felt Fandral approach me, kneeling next to me. I wasn't in the mood for him today.

Training with Thor was fun – he liked to yell and show off for whomever was watching us spar. Training with Fandral felt like I was a chore to him. It made me feel like he was just getting rid of me as quickly as possible, so he could get back inside the palace walls and away from the weak mortal.

"Giving up this early?"

I rolled my head to the side and raised my eyebrows in an incredulous look. "Really," I tried my hardest not to snap. "You're asking that? Well, let's look at my progress today, and recap what I accomplished."

I was silent for a few moments and then said, "Alright. That about sums it up."

"Lady Valencia, your perspective on this matter is a bit off. You must remember, you're fighting gods here. I've had hundreds of years to perfect my technique. You've been here for three weeks."

"Right, pathetic it is," I mumbled, looking at the ground again.

"Listen to me," he said, turning my face towards him with his hand. "You're doing extremely well. You're getting stronger, stronger than any mortal I've heard about. You think that you're weak, but I'd be willing to bet that you would scare any human in your realm with your strength." He paused and winked at me which only caused me to roll my eyes. His flirtations didn't go unnoticed to say the least, but at least it made me feel better.

He got up and extended his hand down to me. "And now, Lady Valencia, the strong maiden from the land of…"

"New York," I replied, laughing at these antics. I grabbed his hand and pulled myself up.

"The land of New York," he finished, "we shall stand up again and fight once more!"

In all honesty, I didn't feel any better about my technique, but my spirit had been renewed. I was about to get my ass handed to me yet again, and this time, I didn't mind. I sprung at Fandral with everything I had, feeling good and renewed. The next couple of minutes was a blur, as cliché as it sounds. Fandral wasn't being nice about his enhanced speed - it really was a blur.

We broke away after that spat. I was tired and breathing hard once more, but I had a smile on my face. I now saw failure as a way of getting better.

As I turned to look at Fandral for his opinion on my fighting that time, I nearly had a heart attack at what I saw. He had his right hand pressed to his cheek, pulling it away with a grin. There was a thin line sporting on his cheek, dripping a red line of blood on his hand.

"I guess I chose the right words," he said, still grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

I echoed his smile at his response, recalling how he mentioned how words can bring down kings. Failure was still good, but success was even better.

I never wanted to lose this feeling.

Tonight was the feast of the gods, or so Thor had mentioned to me before he spent the day at the Allfather's side. I had been avoiding most of the larger Asgardian parties since I was only stared at and whispered about anyway. I barely felt the urge to go tonight, but Fandral had insisted that we needed to celebrate my success.

I sat on the window sill of my room that I had adopted as mine, staring out into the Asgardian sunset. The green and gold dress that I had donned for the evening blew around my ankles with the warm breeze. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against the wall, wishing that Emerald and Pandora were here with me. As much as Asgard was growing on me, I was ready to see them again – I was ready to go home, or wherever home was these days.

The only thing that was standing between the awaited reunion was a war.

I deflated a little as I let out another sigh, reopening my eyes. I hadn't thought about Loki lately, but for the first time, I began to wonder where he was. It had been several weeks since he fell from the destroyed Bifrost, and I had no idea how much time passed until he made his way back to Earth. It sounded horrible even just in my mind, but I was hoping it would be soon.

I was actually hoping for Loki to start killing innocents just so I could see my friends again.

I knew what was going to happen – I just didn't know when. That terrified me.

Screaming in frustration, I grabbed a nearby pillow from the window seat I was on and threw it at the door. Just before it hit, the door swung open. I jumped up as I saw the pillow smack the god of thunder himself right in the face.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," I apologized. "I had no idea you were going to be standing there."

Thor's laugh boomed throughout the bedroom before he shook his head, picking up the golden pillow from the ground. "Lady Valencia, I am fine," he replied easily. "You are the one that I am concerned about now. Are you alright?"

I pushed away the concerning thoughts, not daring to speak them aloud. "I'm fine," I reassured him. "What would make you think otherwise?" I tried to act confused in a feeble attempt to dodge the question.

Thor held up the pillow that I had thrown at him as an answer. I flopped down on my bed, laying on my back to stare at the ceiling.

"I miss it."

Thor probably didn't think he was getting an answer out of me as he tilted his head to one side. "I beg your pardon?" he questioned once more.

"New York. I miss it."

"That is where you're from then, is it? I have seen New Mexico on your planet but never laid eyes on this New York. Is it like New Mexico then?"

I answered without sitting up. "Not really," I commented with a sigh. "It's complicated, actually. It's a city, whereas New Mexico is a state. The city's smaller and in the North… which means it's a lot colder. Not as cold as Jotunheim, though, more like Asgard actually but with more rain."

I had to physically bite my tongue to keep myself from babbling about the weather any further.

"Hear my words, Lady Valencia, because I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you get home. I know how it feels to be banished, and I will aid you in ending this exile."

Thor's words were so formal and heartfelt that I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank you, that really does mean a lot," I said as I sat up on the bed. Immediately, a strange look crossed Thor's features as he laid eyes on my attire for the night.

Oh.

Honestly, I hadn't even done that on purpose as much as my thoughts had wandered to his brother earlier in the day. There was no way I could just tell him that Loki was alive and well, ready to take over Earth, especially as I knew what was supposed to happen next. However, I wasn't about to let depression overcome the god of thunder for the rest of the night.

I nudged Thor in the side, forcing another smile to appear on my lips. "You never know what might happen," I said, choosing my words very carefully. "Loki let go for a reason, and I promise you, it wasn't to die. He's probably out there somewhere."

Thor looked up at me, ready to ask how I knew so much about this situation, but I had no more words of wisdom. I had to stop talking before I sounded too much like a clairvoyant.

There was another pause in which I placed my hand on top of Thor's much larger one, squeezing it softly. Then, he nodded, allowing a sad smile to cross his features.

"Your words comfort me, thank you," he said, nodding towards me. "And now, let us face the kingdom in a feast!"

Standing up, he offered his arm to me, and I took it without apprehension. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad, after all.

Whatever had caused me to think that, however, faded as soon as we entered the hall, arm in arm. In a single moment, all eyes in the room were on me. I glanced up at Thor desperately, wishing he would say something, anything, to ease the tension that I could feel creeping up on my shoulders.

"Let the feast begin!" he announced, clapping his hands together loudly.

The tension faded for a moment, but I could still feel the anxiety in the room building up. I didn't belong here, and they knew it. As Thor led me over to the head table, the uneasiness increased. Here I was a mortal, sitting with the likes of the Warriors Three and Odin.

About halfway through the feast, I could feel eyes burning in the back of my head. I turned around slowly, making awkward eye contact with Lady Sif of all people. She was sitting at the same table as I was, a little further down, just staring at me.

I had it.

I placed down my fork before I stood up, making my way around the table until I was standing directly behind her. "Do you have a problem with me?" I all but barked.

Sif looked taken aback, shocked that I would approach her, let alone call her out.

I repeated my question again, raising my eyebrow. I could feel neighboring eyes turn towards our conversation, but I no longer cared.

"Valencia," she finally said, her eyes darting nervously at the attention we were attracting. "I am wary of your intentions."

"I don't have any. I have no idea how I came here, and I certainly didn't ask to be abandoned here alone. I am making the most of the opportunity here. That is it, and I am sorry that it is not the answer you're looking for, but it is the truth."

There was a long pause in which the entire table was silent, waiting for Sif's reaction to my tough words. It wasn't until I heard the familiar booming laugh from the god of thunder further down the table that the rest of the table erupted into uneasy chuckles. Sif allowed a tiny smile to appear on her face, nodding her respect towards me as she took another sip of her drink.

I nodded back towards her, satisfied with the way this conversation turned out, and made my way back to my seat. After tonight, I had a sneaky feeling that no one would question me again.


	6. Chapter 6

**PANDORA**

I wasn't the most patient person, that much was true. I tried my hardest not to complain, but some days, I couldn't help myself. I was an easily bored person.

One would think that being in an alternate universe would excite me and keep me entertained for months on end, but it just didn't. It had been weeks since I arrived here, and it was the longest weeks of my life. It seemed to pass by so slowly that I thought I wasn't breathing at times.

I had no idea where Emerald and Valencia were or if they had even fell into this universe with me, but I hoped that somehow they would find their way back to me. After all, the Avengers movie started in New York, and if they had ended up here, I had to have faith that they would end up here too.

All I had to do was wait, and I was not doing a good job at that.

Well, at least, I had Steve, sort of.

Director Fury hooked us up with an apartment overlooking 42nd Street, and as nice as it was, we barely left since he showed the place to us. Don't get me wrong, the apartment was amazing, but it was the company that was the issue. Steve was taking the adjustment a lot harder than I was, and while I expected the depression that molded itself around our house, I expected at least a conversation starter between us.

However, today I was determined. Today was going to be the day where I would get Steve out into the world around us, even if that meant shoving him out a window. Honestly, that didn't sound like such a horrible idea. I had been offering to show him around or at the very least help his lack of modern technology skills. He denied me every time.

I had really only left the apartment to get food since I didn't trust Steve home alone these days. I wasn't sure if he was going to start the place on fire because of the electric stove or the electric microwave or the electric toilet even. The list was endless. Leaving the house was my loud place of relief. I loved the way the world rushed around me in a blur of people and cars. Of course, I only left the apartment when agents of SHIELD didn't visit us with a bag of goodies.

Well, mostly just one agent.

Agent Phil Coulson.

He was even better in person, I had to admit, but that also could be due to my lack of interaction with the general public. He still hadn't met Steve yet, which was a disappointment for the both of us, but Phil and I usually had a good time over pizza or Chinese food. Even though I knew pretty much his entire life story already, it was nice to hear the words from the agent himself.

Steve, on the other hand, refused to speak to anyone but me, and when he did, it was a one-word non-decisive answer to whatever question I asked.

Still, I wasn't upset. I knew what he was going through. I only wished that he would have kept his promise to me that we would go through this change together. My only saving grace was when he gave me shooting lessons once a day down at the abandoned warehouse off 38th.

Today, however, I woke up with a renewed feeling of conviction that had nothing to do with the wonderful omelet I made myself this morning. Yawning, I threw on a shirt and skirt, not even bothering to check if they matched, and slowly opened the door to Steve's bedroom.

"Steve?"

I half-hoped that he was still sleeping. He wasn't.

He turned around from the punching bag that was swinging from the ceiling, raising his eyebrows in surprise at my appearance. "Pandora," he stated, breathing heavily. "What do you need?"

I didn't usually bother him unless there was an emergency like when the food was gone, in which case he would either hand me cash from the safe Fury had set us up with or one of the credit cards he had no idea what to do with. Today was different.

"We're going outside today," I said, smiling.

He still donned the look of surprise on his face, and I had to suppress a grin at the sight of it. "What?" he questioned again.

"It's time for me to give you a lesson."

There was no movement from the captain which almost made me groan out loud. I didn't care if I had to drag him outside in nothing but his trousers – and I knew several people, myself included, would appreciate that – but he was leaving the apartment today.

Grabbing onto his hand, I tried my hardest not to think about how sweaty he was at this current moment. I actually had to close and reopen my eyes to make sure I had actually gotten this far, and I wasn't still dreaming. Steve let out a sigh, his eyes darting to the open window and back towards me. I raised an eyebrow and mocked his look from earlier. I wasn't leaving this room until he gave in.

Luckily, my steel glare did him in.

Or at least, that's what I told myself.

I let go of his hand quickly, sauntering out of his bedroom to let him get changed. I paused, waiting until I heard his footsteps behind me before I let a small smile appear across my lips. Step one, successful. What the hell was step two?

As we stepped outside, letting the blur of Times Square overcome us, I had to blink a few times to adjust to the sudden brightness. Steve cleared his throat as I didn't move from our apartment doorstep.

"So, where to first?"

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts right out of my head. "Cell phone," I stammered, noticing his confused expression and carrying on, "They're a lot more advanced now. Trust me."

"Lead on," he said, gesturing to the busy streets in front of us. I considered that a win, for now.

I pulled out my own iPhone, punching in the coordinates to the closest Apple Store around here. Steve, on the other hand, peered over my shoulder inquisitively at what I was doing. That allowed for a smirk to creep over me. He certainly was interested now.

As the map pulled itself up on my phone, Steve's frown grew deeper. He opened his mouth to ask the question I knew was burning on his lips, but I didn't let him finish.

"Intrigued yet? This is my cell phone."

"I… remember them being bigger. More like a walkie talkie."

I paused, not sure how to explain it. "It's more like a radio now," I offered. "They were, well, improved."

Steve nodded, looking slightly more interested than before, and I knew that I had him hooked already. Excellent.

Unfortunately, as we started down the street, we didn't get very far. As paparazzi consumed the two of us, flashing their cameras every which way, I cursed myself for not realizing this fact earlier. He was just too popular.

"Hey Captain America! Over here!"

"Steve, look here!"

"Mr. Rogers!"

I took a deep breath and plunged into the thick crowding area, right in the middle of the sidewalk. Knowing what I knew about New York City, I was committing a big sin, and that was before I all but shoved the reporters away from Steve.

"Hey!" I shouted, drawing the attention to myself. "Leave the poor man alone!"

"And who the hell are you?" came the annoying high-pitched response from some bimbo blonde. "Steve's girlfriend? A lover perhaps?"

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Oh please, I'm merely a friend helping him out."

"Helping him out in what ways?" asked another woman reporter.

"Do you people always look for a story?" I said, narrowing my eyes. "You're pathetic, disgusting and shameful. I'm taking Steve out to buy a cell phone if you really must know. And that is it."

I shoved Steve out of the crowd, taking his hand and running away from the cameras.

God, they were so annoying.

We collapsed as soon as we rounded the corner a few blocks down – well, at least, I did. Steve didn't even break a sweat from our little sprint.

"I suppose I should thank you for that," Steve said in his normal monotone voice.

I nodded, catching my breath. "Don't be surprised when they print a story about you and me in a few days that is completely bogus," I said.

"It's always nice to know some things haven't changed," said Steve, forcing another smile for the day.

I stood up from where I had sunk down on the street corner and shook out my short red hair from its ponytail.

"Forget about them," I said, mimicking his forced grin. "We're going shopping." There was a pause in which Steve just stared after me, and I rolled my eyes. "Come on Ice Princess," I said with a lighthearted tone. "Do you want to do this or not?"

He slowly nodded and picked up his pace after me. I smiled, knowing that I had done my good for today. I knew it was going to be a good day.

We paused again, grabbing a quick bite to eat from a vendor hot dog that I had no interest to explain. Steve stood there, like the little lost puppy he was, staring at the tall skyscrapers like they were going to disappear if he looked away. Frankly, I felt parallel emotions.

I had no idea when Loki was going to show up. I had lost track of time completely.

Continuing our journey down the street, I kept one eye on him until we stood outside the Apple Store. Still, all Steve could look at was the Empire State Building.

"I cannot believe it is still here," he stammered, cocking his head to one side.

"Better believe it, buster," I smirked. "Some things just don't change, no matter how old they become." I gave Steve another smile, adding, "And sometimes those are the best kind."

He nodded once, hearing my words but not necessarily accepting them.

We entered the Apple Store nonetheless, and I exchanged a nervous glance with him. Once again, I felt like I was babysitting the poor guy.

"Try and blend in, okay?" I smirked, gesturing to his outfit. This whole man just screamed look at me. There was no way around it, however, we were doomed from the start.

I shook my head, gesturing Steve over as I located the iPhone section. He ambled over on his own time, still getting used to everything around here.

"This is an iPhone, the most advanced type of phone," I began explaining, hoping not to attract much attention. "It's what I have and what you were admiring earlier, and it -"

Steve cut me off, holding his hands in the air. "I'm-I'm sorry. I just want your standard phone. I don't need all of-" He broke off, gesturing around himself. "This."

I smirked, focusing my energy on how thrilled I was that he was at least open to adjusting. "Sorry Cap," I remarked. "They don't really sell flip phones around here anymore."

"Flip phones?"

I laughed out loud this time. "Never mind," I said with a shake of my head. "At least buy a computer as long as we're here," I urged without hesitation.

Steve smiled. "Now a computer I know how to work," he said proudly.

I didn't have the heart to tell him how advanced his "computers" are now. He could figure that one out on his own.

Guiding the hopeless man over to the computers, I let him wander around, pretending he knew what he was looking at. As he ventured over to the most expensive one, of course, I only hoped that Steve had brought Fury's credit cards with him. There was no way we could afford this on our own.

"I like this one," he announced, pointing to the newest edition of the MacBook. "Is it a good choice?" he asked after I didn't respond for a moment.

I shook my head once more before I plastered a smile across my face. "It's fine," I commented, lowering my voice. "You did bring the credit card, right?"

"The what?"

I sighed, not answering. Steve, eventually catching onto what I was saying, dug through his pockets and emerged with a set of keys to the apartment, a wad of cash, and the credit cards I was seeking. I took the stack of cards from him and sorted through them until I found the one that Fury had given us.

As we checked out at the counter, I pointed to the computer that we wished to purchase and waited until he had left to go find a new box to turn back to Steve. "You did good, soldier," I said, resisting a chuckle. "I'm proud of you."

Now that he had begun to open up to me, I only hoped the improvement would continue. He had a lot to learn about this world around us, and to be honest, so did I. I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out in the future, but I was glad to finally have a friend back.

Fury had been gracious enough to set us up basically for life. It was hard enough for me to wrap my head around all of the zeroes, let alone Steve who had lived in a world where milk cost fifty cents and movie tickets were a quarter.

As we headed back onto the streets of New York, with a brand new laptop in tow, I spied another vendor in the distance. "Well, I'll be damned," I swore under my breath before I handed the box off to my clueless partner.

Shaking my head, I smiled at the merchant, handing over the credit card in my palm almost immediately. As he exchanged my credit card with a pre-paid flip phone, I only shook my head. Perhaps we weren't so hopeless, after all.

When I returned to where Steve was still standing, I tossed the phone in his direction which he caught with ease. I took the Apple box back from him and gave him another smile.

"Oldest phone I could find," I commented, a smirk still creeping at the edge of my lips. "You're in luck."

I shouldn't have jumped the gun, however, since Steve proceeded to flip open the phone and snap the top right off. My mouth dropped open in complete shock, and I immediately burst out laughing. Clutching my stomach, I all but fell to the ground in a fit of hilarity, tears streaming down my face.

Steve's face, on the other hand, turned a light shade of red as he blushed at his own strength. After a minute of watching me laugh uncontrollably, though, he let out a chuckle of his own, shaking his head.

For once, I didn't care who was watching. I wasn't thinking about the world that I had left behind. The only thing that mattered was that I was in this world with a friend, one who apparently had a lot to learn.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Taking You With Me - Daniel Tashian & Mindy Smith

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	7. Chapter 7

**EMERALD**

I had no clue what I had gotten myself into.

Whatever ghost had entered my body and possessed me to lie to Director Fury's face had disappeared over the past month. I was left with a spare bedroom in Tony Stark's mansion, a guilty conscience, and an even bigger cover story to protect.

After I stupidly opened my mouth to Fury, I had about five seconds to come up with some account of how exactly I knew about the Avengers Initiative. In all fairness, I did my best.

"Everything I told you was the truth," I said to the two men standing before me, their expressions still in clear shock. "I can promise that."

Fury still hadn't said a word, and I took that as my cue to continue. "I work for the World Security Council," I blurted out, hoping that I had thought this one through enough to actually make sense. "I was an assistant to the board, and that's why I know what you know, Director Fury." I paused. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"That still doesn't answer the question of why you're here in Malibu and what exactly your intentions are with Stark," Fury responded, catching me off guard.

I sighed. "I was fired, I think," I babbled. "The last thing I remember was leaving the base in New York. The next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground, about to be blown to bits. I had no idea Tony was going to be there."

There was a long pause between the three of us before Fury nodded ever so slightly. "They do not like loose ends," was all he said before he gestured for me to follow him into another room.

"Are you a spy, Miss Maitland?" he questioned as soon as we were alone.

I shook my head violently. "No, sir."

"How can I be sure that I can trust you?"

I paused, believing that Fury doubted my cover story. It appeared that I did my best work under pressure. "You shouldn't," I finally said. "I worked for the enemy. I know the Council and SHIELD are supposed to keep each other in check, but they don't. The Council believes that they're the judges of this world, ready to swing the gavel on anyone that they don't trust." I waited until I was sure I had Fury's attention. "They think you're arrogant. In fact, they thought I was arrogant too. They told me repeatedly that I speak my mind too much and look what they tried to do to me."

Fury sighed, rubbing his temple as he tried to sort through the information I had presented him with. "I need you on my side," were his next words to which I raised an eyebrow.

"If you think I'm joining SHIELD-"

"I never said that."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Then what is it that you want from me?" I asked, suspicious of his answer already.

To be fair, I was right.

"I need you to do what Agent Romanoff could not."

I almost jumped to my feet in protest immediately. "You want me to spy on Tony Stark?" I spluttered. "After everything he's already done for me?"

"Not just that. You're the kind of person that wants to see the best in people. I used to be like that too. Romanoff was too harsh with him. He needs someone like you on his side."

"He has Pepper," I reminded him.

Fury only chuckled in response. "That's not the same thing, and you know it," he said. "He always wanted someone who was just like him."

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know what I'm like?"

My question was never answered. Tony appeared moments later, leaving me to exit the room begrudgingly as they spoke about Tony's position on the Avengers Initiative.

Much to my disapproval, Tony hired me to be his assistant almost immediately after Fury planted the idea in his head. It wasn't that I enjoyed having a place to sleep. It was the bad taste in my mouth that I got every time Fury called, asking for an update on Tony.

It wasn't like I had another choice. It was either that or be exposed to the Council, who probably didn't even know I existed.

Weeks passed.

Tony and I became closer, much to Pepper's disapproval. I knew she hated me, despite the fake smile she plastered on her face, and I knew that there was little I could do to change that. It tore me apart to see how Tony and she acted around each other when I knew what the alternate could be.

Between scheduling Tony's life and trying to figure out the sequence of events that had landed me in this position, I found myself in the gym, training for the inevitable battle to come. I knew Tony would head to New York soon where he would build Stark Tower and get roped into joining the Avengers, and I had every intention of being there when it all happened. That was the best chance I had at finding Pandora and Val and making this right.

Thoughts of my friends were plaguing my head when Tony found me wailing away on a punching bag.

"Your form is off."

I spun around in shock, my heart leaping into my throat. "What the hell?" I spluttered as I tried to regain a steady breath.

"Your form is off," Tony repeated, folding his arms across his chest.

I shook my head, letting a small smirk appear on my lips. "How would you know?" I asked teasingly. "Every time you leap into battle, you have your armor to do it all for you."

Tony stalked his way towards me, pushing his t-shirt sleeves further up his shoulders. It was a challenge, and I knew it.

"Hit me."

I should have known that was coming.

My eyebrows skyrocketed to the top of my forehead as I took a step backwards, almost knocking into the punching bag. "I'm not going to hit you, Tony," I said. "That's what I have this for."

"Wimp."

"Excuse me?" I questioned, shaking my head. If I hadn't known Tony, I would have said this was unbelievable.

"Chicken."

I had to laugh as a smirk appeared on his face, knowing that he was close to cracking me. Well, I wasn't going to just stand there and let him insult me.

Swinging my right arm, I connected my fist with his left cheek, sending him stumbling backwards. He and I were both equally shocked at my actions. Finally, Tony stood up straight, adjusting his jaw from where I punched him. I would have asked him if he was alright but from the smile on his face, I knew he was.

"You good?" I questioned, folding my arms across my chest.

I gave Tony a defiant stare, challenging him to continue what he had started. He stared back for a moment before he swung his legs forward and knocked me straight off my feet. I instinctively rolled over, not wanting to admit that he just knocked the wind out of me, and wrapped my leg around his ankle, dragging him to the ground with me.

We continued to spar for minutes before he grabbed my fist as I tried to land one last punch to his cheek. Dropping eye contact seemed to take years as neither of us wanted to be the first to break apart from each other. However, as we finally moved away, I dropped my gaze to the ground, trying to keep my cheeks from flushing.

"See?" Tony said in between gulps of air. "It's better when you're training with someone."

I smiled, shaking my head. "You're not too bad yourself," I teased, not sure if I was capable of accepting his praise or not.

"I'm a survivor," he responded quietly. "I know what it takes to survive."

My heart sank as I realized he was referencing his time spent with the Ten Rings. I wished I could take back what I said, mostly because I knew everything that he had been through. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, not looking up from the ground. "I shouldn't have-"

"Em."

I glanced up in surprise. No one called me that unless they really knew me.

"I'm glad you're here."

I nodded slowly, letting the corners of my mouth to lift up in a half smile. He didn't have to say anything else.

A few weeks passed with fleeting smirks and teasing comments between Tony and me. Something had changed after that day, and while I couldn't quite think of what it was, I knew that we saw each other differently.

It was at the party that my suspicions were affirmed.

For Tony, it was just another party at his house, but for me, it was my house now too. It didn't matter that I basically planned the entire thing, or that Fury had not-so-basically told me to report on every single person on the guest list. This was an average night for Stark Mansion, or so I told myself.

I, however, was sitting far away from the festivities in the back kitchen, furiously typing yet another email to the SHIELD director.

"Wanna dance, beautiful?" came a voice behind me, and I instinctively threw down the top of my laptop, not wanting anyone to read what I was writing.

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Tony was standing there, a glass of whiskey in his hand, staring at me like I was… something other than his friend. I could smell the alcohol on his breath from across the room. And yet, I still blushed.

"Stop it," I scolded, breaking eye contact. "I'm working, and you're drunk."

Tony shrugged, setting his glass down on the nearest table. "My offer still stands," he said, raising an eyebrow casually.

"I really can't-"

I was pulled to my feet reluctantly as he crossed the room in a few strides. He immediately slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest. My heart sped up rapidly, and I worried that he would feel how it was threatening to pound out of my chest.

I was dancing alone in a room with no music with Tony Stark. I was dancing with someone who I had feelings for since before I knew he was a real person. I was dancing with the only person who I had a connection to in this world.

"Tony," I sighed, knowing he wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. "I know you."

"Em, relax."

I fell silent, listening to the barely audible music from the room next door as we swayed from side to side. My arm began to relax around his neck, and I immediately tensed it to make sure I wasn't getting comfortable. This friendship that I had with Tony was one that had to remain as it was. Risking all of my new stable-ish life for buried feelings we may or may not have was not worth it.

Or so I kept telling myself.

"You've improved," I commented for lack of anything else to say.

Tony smirked in response. "Well, alcohol loosens up my feet."

"Of course it does."

"Don't sound so bitter," he retorted. "This was meant to be fun. You did a great job with all of this, even better than Pepper sometimes." He paused. "Don't tell her I said that."

I wasn't really sure where he was going with this. "Thank you," I said with a curt nod, "but this really isn't supposed to be my time off."

"Your boss has granted you the leisure time."

I smiled as our usual banter returned, despite the alcohol I could feel on his skin. "I wouldn't exactly call it leisure," I said. "You are still a pain in my ass."

We spun around, causing my breath to hitch for a moment. I leaned back involuntarily, our eyes inches apart from each other. "You love it," he slurred.

For a moment, his eyes flickered down to my lips and back up to my eyes again. My chest tightened as I knew what he was insinuating.

I tried to escape from his grasp, figuring that the best way to not let this happen was to remove myself from the situation completely. However, before I could run, he took a few steps forward, one hand still placed carefully on my waist. I felt my back brush up against the kitchen counter.

There was nowhere to go.

"Em."

I didn't meet his eyes. I couldn't.

There was a heavy pause in which I could feel his breath against my lips. I let my eyes ghost across his for a second.

Shit.

He was staring at me full of emotions, full of something I wasn't sure he was capable of expressing. I knew, in that moment, that Tony Stark had feelings for me beyond one of his usual flirtations. And I knew that I couldn't do anything about it.

Upon seeing the shock ring across my faces, he leaned in closer, causing my entire body to freeze. It was like I had been petrified. Our lips were now centimeters away from each other, and I couldn't move.

"Yo, T!" came the interruption that I almost knew was going to happen. I dropped my gaze to the ground awkwardly as Colonel Rhodes came sauntering into the room. "There's something you need to see."

I took that ideal moment when Tony was distracted to slip away from the situation. I swiftly picked up my laptop from where it was abandoned on the counter and staggered my way back to my room.

"Just a minute," I heard Tony respond behind me, his gaze burning holes into my back.

I didn't look back.

Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes as I realized what had almost happened. I had almost ruined the only friendship that I had in this world.

Whatever Tony may have thought he felt in that moment was gone. It wasn't going to happen again.

It couldn't.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Please Don't Say You Love Me - Gabrielle Aplin

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	8. Chapter 8

**VALENCIA**

Time on Asgard seemed to be ageless.

I slowly become used to the people around me, as long as I didn't think about how they were probably a million years old. The landscape around me was much prettier than Earth, the food was an endless feast, and I never ran out of books to read. I really had nothing to complain about.

So why did I feel so alone?

I had Thor. I had Fandral and the Warriors Three. Sif had even begun training with me. The only things that were missing were Em and Pandora. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that they might be different people than I remember, that I might be a different person than they remember. I wasn't the submissive woman that agreed to whatever they desired. I was stronger.

I wasn't weak anymore.

While I let my thoughts wander back to my friends, I missed the daily messenger riding down the surface of the Bifrost. My eyes wandered to where the horse had disappeared from my view, riding to the edge of the broken bridge where I knew Heimdall was standing guard. Though the connections with all of the other realms were currently lost, he still stood there, geared up to defend Asgard if necessary.

Rarely did the messenger have any news to report, so I wasn't deeply concerned about missing him. It was just a routine part of my morning.

However, when I laid eyes on the several other horses following the first, I practically leapt out of the window sill I was perched in. There was five, and I only assumed that it was the Warriors Three, Sif and Thor. If they were all being called out to the bridge, then it had to be news.

I was already strapping on my sandals to follow them when I saw another horse exit the stables and head towards the Bifrost, this one much larger and faster than the rest.

Odin.

If Odin had been called, then it wasn't just news, but something was seriously wrong.

I hurried out the door into the hall, sprinting down to the main level of the castle. The flowy material of my black dress whipped around my legs as I ran. When I reached the bottom of the great stairs and turned towards the large doors, I stopped in my tracks, thinking of the quickest way to the bridge.

I only had one option.

When I had reached the horses' stable, I swung myself on a chestnut colored horse, digging my heels into its sides to start its sprint. The horse shot off towards the Bifrost as I directed, and I thanked Thor for teaching me how to ride during my stay here.

The horse's hooves formed a quick pattern as they hit the hard surface of the bridge. The timing of the beats soon matched the beating of my heart as I was already assuming the worst. Had something happened to my home? Worse, had something happened that wasn't supposed to?

I reached the edge of the bridge and stopped the horse by gently pulling back on its mane. I dismounted next to Thor who quickly glanced at me without saying a word. I wasn't surprised. No one dared to speak while Odin was.

"So, you're saying that you've called us down here for no reason at all, other than you believe that something is strange?"

The tone of Odin's voice was measured, as if he was trying to control his annoyance at Heimdall. He was about to lose his patience. I didn't know how long the questioning had been going on before I had arrived, but this was definitely not the first question asked.

Heimdall only nodded, his gaze still staring off into the void. "Yes," he said. "I do not know what it is that I sense, for it is shrouded from me. There is something wrong down on Midgard."

My breath caught in my throat, my thoughts immediately flying to my friends. I tried to push away the nagging feeling that they were the cause of this disturbance, since I had no recollection of any issues on Earth prior to the invasion. It wouldn't go away.

Heimdall, on the other hand, had glanced in my direction while I was distracted by my thoughts. It did not go unnoticed by anyone except for me.

"Are you implying that Lady Valencia is the cause for this?" he asked, making no attempt at subtlety in his implied threat. Fandral, alternatively, placed his hand on his sword, giving the Allfather a wary look.

Heimdall immediately came to my defense, and to be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth. "I imply no such thing," he claimed. "I only thought of her because she is from that realm."

I stepped forward, tilting my head to one side. I wasn't sure how much help I was going to be, but I could at least try. "I'm sorry," I said. "What is it exactly that you're seeing?"

Heimdall closed his eyes and tilted his head up to the sky. "There was a great disturbance on the surface," he said slowly. "There is always war and suffering on your planet, but this felt… raw. I cannot see, almost as if I was… shut out. The last time I felt this-"

He immediately stopped talking.

My heart leapt in my throat as I could have guessed what he would have said next. The only person to successfully shut out Heimdall was Loki.

Odin, however, had conveniently been in Odinsleep during the whole event. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What is it?" he questioned. "Have you felt something else?"

"No," Heimdall spoke immediately. "It is nothing. I have told you all that I know. I apologize for calling you without more information."

Thor suddenly turned on his heel, swinging himself back on his horse and galloping back towards the palace. I hadn't noticed his agitation, but it was apparent that Odin had, for when the Warriors Three made to follow him, he put a hand out to stop them.

"No, let him go. He needs time to process his… bond with Midgard."

I didn't wait for a cue to leave. I mounted my horse less gracefully than Thor did and rode after him. As I left, however, I felt Heimdall's eyes burning holes in my back.

Goosebumps were still present on my skin as I reached the palace. Had Loki appeared on Earth sooner than I anticipated? Had Emerald and Pandora done something to change the timeline? And if they had, what did that have to do with me?

Questions continued to fill my head as I knocked on Thor's door. I knew I shouldn't be here, but if anyone were to have answers, it was him.

"It is not wise to bother me now," I heard from the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes and pushed the door open anyway. Thor was standing in the middle of the room, facing the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't even turn around as he exclaimed a protest at my entry.

I smirked, shutting the door softly behind me. "You were crystal clear, but we both know that wise is a far cry from what I am," I continued.

Thor sighed, turning around with the irritated expression still shining on his face. "I have nothing to say."

"I know there's something bothering you," I said, "and I think it has something to do with my people. So, talk to me. You don't have to keep it inside all of the time."

There was a pause in which I thought Thor was actually going to say something, but he merely sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the carpeted floor beneath our feet.

"Thor."

There was no response.

"Thor, I'm a Midgardian, and I have no idea what I'm doing here. I have no idea what's happening to my home. I am just as scared as you are."

Still nothing.

"Well, I'm not good at one-sided conversations," I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment. "If you decide how to use your vocal cords again, let me know."

Three days passed, and I still hadn't seen Thor leave his room.

I was starting to get worried.

Normally, I wasn't the type of person to get consumed in my thoughts, picturing every single possibility of what could happen. I had a horrible feeling that everything was about to blow up around me, and this time, it wouldn't be my fault.

I barely had time to worry about myself between analyzing Thor's tantrum and what the hell my friends had done on Earth to make Heimdall so spooked. Of course, it didn't have to be them, but if I had inserted myself into one of the most famous Marvel storylines, I was sure at least Em was at the center of the action.

And there was the matter of Loki.

I had two options.

I could tell Thor the truth about what I knew. He was obviously in mourning about his brother and his favorite planet. Telling him would ease the pain he felt, but it would lead straight towards my own exile from Asgard. I would be screwing up the timeline if I did.

Or, I could keep quiet and wait. Waiting was the worst part, but it was the safer option. I only hoped that whenever Thor was sent down to Earth to stop Loki, I would be able to join him. There were a lot of what ifs in this scenario, and I suddenly found myself drawn more and more to the first option.

Groaning to myself, I flopped down on my bed, wishing for sleep to overtake me and rid me of this decision-making process.

Unfortunately, it only made it worse.

When I opened my eyes, he was standing in front of me, staring his green eyes into my soul. Loki was every bit as broken as I remembered him, and yet, I could see the compassion behind his eyes.

He didn't say a word, and to be honest, I wasn't sure that I was ready to hear what he had to say. We stood there in silence, staring at each other, and it wasn't for a long time before I realized that he wasn't staring at me, but rather through me.

Spinning around on the spot, I bit back a gasp as I found myself on Thanos's planet. My heart hammering in my chest, I took a few steps backwards, almost knocking myself straight into Loki. I knew this was a dream – there was no way I could actually be here – but I saw how Thanos's visits worked. There was no way to tell if I was dreaming… or if I was summoned.

While I couldn't see Thanos's face, I knew it was his ugly purple face that was sitting on his floating throne before me. The stench of death filled my nostrils, threatening to consume every inch of my body before I gasped myself awake, goosebumps ghosting over my skin.

The sky was still dark outside, but if I went back to sleep, it would only make the dreams return.

As quick as my dream could muster at the early hour, I pulled on the only armor set I owned, courtesy of Sif. If there was one way out of my own head, it would be to train. As I ran a brush through my blonde hair and put it up in a French braid, I caught my reflection in the mirror.

I hardly recognized who I saw staring back at me.

This was not the same person who was drinking mimosas and laughing with her friends. It was a harder, stronger version of the person that I once was. It was frightening. I was afraid I was losing touch with my humanity.

Training had helped, as I assumed it would, and I felt more at ease the longer I gripped my sword in my hand. It had helped blur together my former reality and this new one. It had helped to make sense of this world, and what was to come next.

However, my thoughts ran short when a guard rushed into the area that I was training in. I flipped myself around, sword at the ready, as my body went into a state of alertness. No matter how many times I saw the palace guards, they still made me uneasy.

"Lady Valencia, you are needed in the hall of Odin at once."

The stern tone that he adapted confused me, and I raised an eyebrow. I almost made a witty comment about the guards warming up to me, but I bit my tongue. The last thing I wanted was to make this day even worse.

The guard continued to eye my sword until I tucked it into the belt wrapped around my waist. "Alright," I said slowly. "I'm going."

He reached out to remove me from my weapon and escort me into the throne room, but I wrenched myself away from the guard. "I know how to get there, thanks," I snapped.

The guard bowed reluctantly, leaving me alone in the training area with an annoyed expression on my face.

When I arrived in the throne room, Odin was not alone. As much as I was overjoyed to see that Thor had left his room, I noticed he wasn't meeting my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but Odin cut off my words before I said anything.

"Lady Valencia, child of Midgard, would you like to tell us what you know of the situation on Earth at this moment?"

I frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

There was no hesitation.

"I have just received word of something rather unusual, especially coming from you," Odin continued. "Heimdall has informed me that you believe my son to be on Earth at this moment?"

I felt as if I had fallen into frozen water.

I had no clue if I was sleep talking, or if my suspicions that it wasn't really a dream were true. The only thing I knew right now was that Heimdall had been aware of my nightmare.

No words were spoken between us, the accusation hanging in the air.

The only words that were repeating in my head, over and over, was that it was too soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**PANDORA**

I was living my best life.

Okay, things weren't the best. I had no idea where my friends were, and I had no idea how I ended up in this world full of superheroes. On the bright side, though, I was slowly becoming best friends with Steve Rogers. I couldn't complain about that.

We walked into the city daily now after I had forced him back into the public that day. His renewed sense of purpose churned my optimism in my system, and for the first time, I wasn't worried about my friends anymore. I had made my peace with where I was, and I knew that they were both way stronger than I was. They would be fine.

Steve usually walked a few strides behind me, still taking in the sights and sounds of New York. Today, however, I slowed my pace so we were walking side by side. After two months, I was adjusted to this version of New York, but Steve still had a long way to go.

Since Steve had opened up to me, I had been asking him questions about his past to keep his mind still focused on what was important. He had to move away from the pain, but I wasn't stupid. I knew that in order to adjust to the present, he had to accept the past.

That was why I asked the hard question today.

"Were you ever in love?" I said innocently, already knowing the answer.

He nodded once, stopping in his tracks as we strolled through Central Park. It was so brief that for a moment, I thought I was seeing things. My heart clenched in my chest as I forced myself to continue. I had heard about Howard, Colonel Phillips, the Howling Commandos, but there were two people that he refused to talk about.

I knew what my role was in this situation.

"What happened?" I continued to say, hating myself with every moment.

He gave me a steely glare that I was sure that I deserved. "I crashed my plane in the ocean," he snapped.

I shook my head, moving closer to Steve in a form of comfort. He only stepped further away.

"That doesn't mean-" I started to say, but he didn't let me finish.

"Are you done asking questions?"

I leaned backwards at his hostility. Grabbing his arm, I forced him to stop – and simultaneously forced my mind not to think about the muscles in my hand right now.

"No, I'm not," I responded. "I'm here for you as your friend, and as your friend, I can only help you if you let me in."

There was a long minute of silence before I dropped my grasp on his arm, the air brushing between my fingertips. "I… I can't," Steve finally whispered. "Everyone that I let in gets hurt because of me."

He didn't say anymore, and he didn't have to.

"Steve, you can't think like this," I said. "You can't live a life of loneliness when you have people relying on you." I paused. "Steve, I'm relying on you."

He gave me a surprised glance, brushing his blond hair away from his eyes. I simply smiled in his direction.

"The ones that love us," I continued. "They never leave us, not really."

Steve smiled. "Where did you hear that one, Professor Whitman?" he teased.

"Would you believe a magical wizard?"

There was no sense of comprehension on his face. I had gone too far in the modern-day references, especially when they involved a certain Albus Dumbledore.

"Kidding," I quickly said, trying to cover my tracks.

I wasn't.

"You remind me a lot of her, you know," Steve continued, a grateful gaze resting on his features. "Peggy, the woman that I left behind."

That took me off guard.

"She gave me a chance too," he added onto his original statement. "It's an impossibly difficult thing to bear, and… I'm grateful that I knew you both."

Steve's hand gripped my own tightly, and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. This was the closest thing I felt to happiness since I got here.

As the days continued to pass, I found myself getting more and more invested in this world. I knew how to fight, how to shoot a gun, how to take care of myself without anyone around. I felt like I had aged ten years in a few months.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Steve continued to open up to me, and I did my best to reciprocate the conversation. I couldn't very well tell him that I was from another universe, but I talked about my friends a lot. Talking helped. It made me think of a life that they were having somewhere across the world.

I hoped Emerald and Valencia would find their way to me once the Avengers started to assemble. It was kind of messed up that I was waiting for aliens to invade the planet just so I could see my friends again.

Whatever.

"Dora."

My thoughts immediately ceased to exist, and my jog around Central Park halted to a standstill. I turned to Steve who had stopped running a few paces ahead of me, surprised that I had stopped sprinting altogether. The blood drained from my face, even as I could hear Steve asking if I was okay.

"Did you hear that?" I questioned as my legs shook underneath me. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Someone said my name."

Steve tilted his head to one side. "We jog through here almost every day," he tried to reason. "Maybe someone recognized you."

I shook my head frantically, my blood feeling like ice in my system. "No," I attempted to explain. "They called me Dora. No one calls me that except Em and Val."

It was unrealistic.

There was no way that they were here in plain sight without saying anything to me. However, I could hear the echo of my name in my head, repeating over and over again. It was maddening.

"I… I'm fine," I said after a few seconds, trying to catch my breath and not seem like a lunatic in front of Steve. "I promise."

Steve gave me a weird look but seemed to trust my answer. With a nod from myself, we took off at a jog again. Nevertheless, my head still threatened to explode.

I was going crazy.

When we both headed back inside our small apartment, I collapsed on the couch, holding a hand to my still throbbing head. It was several minutes before I realized Steve was sitting next to me silently.

"What are you doing?" I asked, peeking open one eye.

"Making sure you're okay."

I huffed out a loud sigh. "I had a panic attack." Well, that wasn't an entire lie.

Steve didn't say a word. He just slid his hand in mine and squeezed it gently, letting me know that he was there. I felt lighter instantly.

I noticed a bag of Chinese take-out food on our counter from a few blocks down. Hopping to my feet, I cracked it open, inhaling the scents and smiling at the note Phil had left.

"Do you want some food?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at the still-concerned super soldier.

He gave me a clearly troubled glance before grabbing a container for himself. He even managed to use the chopsticks better than me.

"Someday, you'll surprise me," I said with a shrug, popping a piece of chicken in my mouth.

This feeling that I had was unusual to say the least. It wasn't good – clearly because I was going insane. I wasn't bad. It was somewhere in the middle, and for now, I was content on being in the middle. Things always had a way of looking up.

Little did I know.


	10. Chapter 10

**EMERALD**

Avoiding Tony Stark was not easy.

His name was constantly in the news, his face was on every screen throughout California, and it was unrealistic to think anyone had not heard of him.

Avoiding Tony Stark when I lived in the same house as him was damn near impossible.

I had been trying my best not to actually see him since the holiday party fiasco. When I had to talk to him, I deferred to email and text with the occasional phone call. I wasn't sure how much he remembered about that night, but for me, I needed time.

Needless to say, I was shocked when JARVIS called me downstairs into Tony's workshop. I was reluctant to even head down there, but a part of me missed him. I missed our daily banter and the way he always found a way for a smile to appear on my face. I missed my friend more than anything.

I punched in the code to the workshop and entered with no issues. It only took a few minutes for me to spot Tony as I rounded the corner. The mystery man of the hour was standing on his podium, the Iron Man suit just finishing its assemble around him.

Tony turned around as I approached, the helmet clutched in his hands.

"You, uh, wanted to see me?" I asked, still not making eye contact with the billionaire. I played it cool, not entirely sure where this was going.

He smiled sincerely, and for the first time, I wondered if he really had no idea what happened that night. "Yeah," he said with a straight face. "I wanted a goodbye kiss, and you know how Pepper gets."

Never mind.

I didn't move, my arms crossed over my chest, as I waited for the secondary reaction from him.

He burst into a wide grin, tilting his head to one side. "Kidding, Em," he quickly added, although I could tell his eyes were flickering over my body language as if to judge my reaction. "I trust you know how to fly a plane?"

I couldn't control the surprise on my face this time.

"No," I said slowly. "What kind of question is that?"

He nodded, comprehending what I was saying without looking at my expression. "I guess we'll just the autopilot feature then," he replied to himself before he turned back to me. "You'll get used to it."

I finally started to catch on.

"Wait."

There could have been a million reasons why Tony needed to see his assistant on a Thursday afternoon. This, however, had not been one of the million reasons that I considered.

"Are you asking me to come with you?" I finally asked. "On a mission?"

"Well, when you put it like that, indirectly."

I shook my head, taking a step back. Uncrossing my hands from my chest, I held them in the air in a sign of surrender. "Just because I've been training doesn't mean I'm ready for something like this," I tried to reason. "I can't just leave my life behind and trust that you're going to have my back."

Hurt rang across his face for a moment, but I chose to ignore it. I had to at least say my piece before I sent myself off to die.

"You don't have to trust me, that's fine," Tony said. "But I would trust you with my life. That's not something that comes easy, Em. The only other person I've ever said that to is Rhodey." He paused. "Besides, JARVIS seems to think you're ready."

I made a face, electing to overlook his sentiment. "So, I'm putting my life in my hands thanks to a computer. I feel really safe now." The sarcasm just rolled off my tongue.

Tony smirked. "Technically, he's artificial intelligence but-"

"Shut up," I snapped, throwing my notebook in his face. I wasn't mad, in spite of my actions. In fact, this was the best I had felt in a long time. I finally felt… normal.

Tony's gaze looked up and down my blazer and pin skirt, raising an eyebrow. "You may need to change," he commented, prompting an eye roll from me.

"Thank you, Sherlock."

I tossed the comment over my shoulder as I headed back to my own room to dig out that tactical gear Fury had provided me with. As hard as I tried to fight off a grin, it was already plastered on my face. I had Tony back, I had my somewhat stable life back, and now I had a mission.

Besides our missions, I rarely had time to speak to Tony or Pepper since they were busying themselves in the development of Stark Tower. I wasn't complaining in the slightest. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

Tony and I got back into our routine as if the night of the holiday party hadn't even existed. As much as a piece of my heart hurt to think about it, I was glad that we were okay. He was my person.

I had more near-death experiences than I had in my entire life working with Tony, but the adrenaline kept me going. I finally felt like I was worth something in this new world.

It was another few months before I made an executive decision to end things with Fury. I had given him way more information than he ever asked for, even if I had fudged a few of the documents. I was becoming my own person in this world, and I wasn't going to let Fury ruin that for me.

I was in the middle of typing the email when I was cornered by Tony and Pepper simultaneously. Raising an eyebrow, I pushed my computer off to the side of the couch apprehensively as I judged their grim expressions.

"Who died?" I immediately asked.

Pepper rolled her eyes unsurprisingly. "No one," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I trust Tony's filled you in about Stark Tower."

My heart leapt into my throat as I realized this was the moment I had been counting on. "Yes," I answered slowly, trying not to sound as excited as I felt.

"We're putting the finishing touches on it," she continued as if I hadn't spoken. "We want to relocate there so we can put all of our effort into it."

For a second, I was worried that Pepper was going to kick me out of their lives, but I should have known better.

"Who's we?" I finally asked.

"Do you really think I would leave my partner behind?" Tony questioned.

A blush crept up on my cheeks despite my best intentions to hide it. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, let alone what I was supposed to do with this information. I could tell from Pepper's expression that this idea was not boding well with her, but it didn't matter to me.

I was going home.

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't forget about me," I joked.

It didn't take nearly as long as I thought for the three of us to pack up our stuff and head off to New York City. It was only when we landed on the runway that I could finally breathe again. Even though it wasn't the New York that I remembered, it still smelled like home.

Happy picked us up directly from Tony's private jet, and as I clambered into the car, I realized how much my life had changed. This was a lifestyle that was barely recognizable to the old me, but it was one that I had grown comfortable in. For the first time, I wasn't sure if I would ever want to go back to the way things were.

"Welcome home," Happy announced from the driver's seat as we pulled away from the airport. I had smile. This was home.

I turned my head to the right, laying eyes on the familiar skyline. The streets passed by around me in a blur until I felt a hand brush my arm. Spinning back around, I faced Tony who was examining my facial expression intently.

"You missed it here, didn't you?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I guess I did."

Goosebumps rose up on my arm, and I had a sneaky feeling that it wasn't just because it was surreal being back. Shoving the buried feelings further down, I tried to ignore what was happening inside of the car and focusing on the sights around me.

It didn't last long.

Tony tossed something into my lap, my reflexes causing me to jump again. I caught it at the last minute and glanced over at him curiously.

"I thought you might like it back," he said, gesturing to my own phone that was back in my hands. "I took it from you when you were sleeping on the plane and made a few modifications. I uploaded a full map of Stark Tower, or at least what's completed so far. Just so you don't get lost, of course."

"Of course," I commented back, a smirk appearing across my face.

I had pretended my entire life that the Metlife Tower behind Grand Central Station was actually Stark Tower, but seeing it in person still took my breath away. I froze in the middle of the street, causing cars to honk around me, but I didn't care. This was exactly where I needed to be.

I found myself sitting on the couch next to Tony that night, flicking through channels on the television screen. He was tinkering with some tiny machine in his hands. Raising an eyebrow, I thought about questioning why he wasn't down in his workshop, but I enjoyed the company.

"Are you an HGTV or Food Network kind of guy?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Tony glanced up, still holding a screwdriver in his hands. "Why are those my only two options?" he quipped right back.

Rolling my eyes, I gestured towards him with the remote in my hand. "Are you the one holding the remote?" I asked. "I don't think so." I paused for a minute. "HGTV or Food Network?"

"HGTV."

"A surprising answer."

Tony threw me a look. "Don't tell the press," he commented, a smirk crossing his lips.

It was halfway through the episode that he spoke again, so soft that I could barely hear him.

"I'm sorry."

I thought I had misheard him, for my head snapped to the side hard enough to give me whip lash. "What did you say?" I asked, ignoring the warm feeling spreading through my neck.

He put down the machine part in his hands, giving me his full attention. "I said that I'm sorry," he repeated, sighing as he said it.

I lowered the remote on the couch arm, folding my legs underneath myself in order to turn closer to him. "For what?" I queried. I was still in shock that Tony was even capable of saying those words that my brain didn't process what he was referring to.

"We never talked about it."

Oh.

I dropped my gaze to my socks tucked under my knees, the HGTV episode forgotten. "You don't have to apologize, Tony," I tried to reason, but he cut me off before I could babble even further.

"I do," he said. "Because you're the closest thing I have to stability." My eyes flickered over to him in astonishment, but I let him continue. "I have Rhodey, I have Pepper, but you… you're something else entirely. You surprised me." There was another long pause as if he was trying to choose his words carefully. "I see myself in you, and the last thing I want is to ruin you like I ruined myself."

That took my guard right down.

"Tony," I said softly. "You're the only friend I have here." I was going to say more than that, but I had no idea how to even begin to describe what I was feeling.

"I know that, which is why I'm sorry. So much bad has happened in my life that I… I tend to drink to forget all of that."

I wasn't going to let him finish this time.

I shook my head. "I know," I repeated. "We're a lot alike, as much as I hate to admit it. We're both ridiculously stubborn, we're both the first to jump into action, we're both hot-headed with our emotions, but we're both survivors. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through and comparing my troubles to yours seems unfair. I kept my distance because you're all I have right now, until I figure this whole new life of mine out. I don't want to lose my best friend."

Tony's surprised expression matched my own from earlier. I turned and gave him a soft smile. There was nothing more to say. That was enough.

Being here in New York and clearing the air with Tony felt like a new beginning to me. Even if I had no one else here in this strange new world, I had him.

As my thoughts drifted back to the episode now finishing on the screen, a jolt of what felt like electricity ran through my blood. I was in New York now. How the hell could I have forgotten so quickly.

"I have to go," I announced abruptly, getting to my feet and grabbing my phone from the side table.

Tony threw me a look of concern, raising an eyebrow. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Was it something I said?"

"No, no," I reassured. "I just realized I have to be somewhere. I'll be back."

As I darted into the elevator, I opened up the three-dimensional holographic model of Stark Tower that Tony had uploaded in my phone. I spun it around a few times before I found what I was looking for.

I exited on the correct floor, sauntering through the rooms until I stood in front of the largest, most complex computer I had ever seen in my life. I pressed a button on the keyboard, and the computer fired to life, whirring around the room.

"Can I help you with something, Miss Maitland?" came the electronic voice of JARVIS through the speakers in the room. I winced at the harsh sound.

"I'm good, JARVIS. Just keep it down, and don't alert Tony, alright?"

"Another secret project I see?"

I rolled my eyes. "Mute."

JARVIS fell silent, and I turned back to the burning task at hand. Somehow, I navigated my way through the system until I found a search engine on the screen. Tapping it once with my finger, it brought up a whole database that I had never seen before. Slowly, I typed in the name that had washed over me earlier.

Nothing.

I sighed, knowing it wasn't going to be that easy. I tried a different combination. Still nothing. Three more trials brought up no results either. Someone was trying very hard to keep this off of the grid.

It hit me a few seconds later.

I typed in a name that was my last hope. A single ping showed up on the screen after a few minutes of searching, and a grin appeared on my face. An address was all I needed.

Sneaking into the apartment building was easy enough, especially with all of the missions I had been going on lately. The hardest part was bringing myself to knock on the wooden door that I had been standing in front of for about ten minutes now.

Pushing all doubts out of my head, I raised my knuckles and wrapped twice. My heart hammered in my chest as I waited, ignoring the thoughts in my head telling me to run.

Luckily, a tall blond man answered the door before I could even think about moving. "Hello?" he asked sleepily.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized I was staring at the actual Steve Rogers. Captain America himself was standing in front of me. I had to take a couple of breaths to compose myself before I spoke again.

"Uh, hi," I said softly. "Is Pandora Whitman here?"

Steve opened his mouth to make an excuse, but the door opened wider nonetheless. I heard a soft, "Steve, it's fine," before I took another step backwards, my black hood still firmly attached to my head.

I locked eyes with one of my best friends for the first time in months.

"Can I help you?" questioned Pandora, eyeing my suspicious black outfit.

I took a deep breath and lowered my hood, forcing a smile on my face.

"Surprise."


	11. Chapter 11

**VALENCIA**

If I had known that this was how my journey to Asgard was going to end up, I probably wouldn't have gotten myself so involved. Standing here, in the throne room, was the scariest moment I have ever encountered in my entire life. It was like everything that I worked to preserve and build were crashing down at my feet, and I had no way to stop anything. I had no way of turning back time. I had no way of preventing the destruction of everything that I knew. I was going to ruin the timeline.

It's too soon.

I couldn't shake the dream that I had produced in my mind. Maybe that was the reason behind my mistake, his name still lingering on my lips. Except there had to be something more that I was missing. The entire time that I had been on this realm, I had never encountered any dreams or nightmares of the sort until last night. Even now, as I was standing before the Allfather himself, I couldn't help but think of what had happened to me. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

When I didn't respond to Odin's original question, silence had lapsed in between, giving me time to myself – something that I had relied on ever since I had arrived on Asgard. The silence was golden as it gave me time to collect my thoughts and sort them out. It allowed me to breathe, to stop looking so foolish without speaking, to become a harder shell of someone that I already was.

And that was a skill I had perfected by now.

I was used to faking a smile, saying that everything was alright when honestly, I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry for the remainder of the day. I was used to showing no emotions because they were better than being fragile and weak. I wasn't a weak mortal, at least not anymore. I was a hardened Asgardian.

"How long have you been lying to us?" Odin demanded again after I failed to answer the first claim against me. I closed and reopened my eyes, successfully shutting away any last petitions I had left.

I shook my head nonetheless. "No, no, no, you don't understand."

And they didn't understand, because I didn't even understand. I tried, but nothing was making sense anymore. Everything was too scattered to repair.

Odin tried a different approach. "How long have you known my son was alive?"

I held back a wince. That was a question I could answer, honestly, but it gave zero help to the case that I was trying to build to protect myself. It would only make matters worse.

"This isn't what it looks like, I promise," I sighed, looking over to where Thor stood beside me.

He too had a hardened expression on his face as if he was trying to hide what he was truly feeling. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I saw the muscles in his jaw clench. That was more horrible than if he had truly lashed out at me - I had lost the trust in my only true friend on this realm. I had no one left.

"Thor?" I tried, never taking my eyes off of him, but he refused to look in my direction.

"Just answer the question," came his only response as he continued to stare straight ahead.

I knew I couldn't break down.

"Since the day I came here," I finally admitted, glancing back towards Odin. I swallowed again, nodding and solidifying my words. "I knew Loki… wasn't…. dead. I just wasn't sure what or where he was."

Odin raised both of his eyebrows as he listened to me. "In limbo?" he questioned when I was finished, and I shrugged. Truthfully, I had no idea.

"Sure," I offered. "That part, I don't know."

There was a long pause in which Odin and Thor stood, towering over me in a clear form of intimidation. "There are endless possibilities," I stated in a flat tone. "It wasn't until today that I got an inkling."

That wasn't exactly the truth. I had known all along where Loki would end up.

"And how long have you been acquainted with Loki?" came Odin's next interrogational question, one that immediately caught me off guard.

I frowned, tilting my head to one side. That was a question I wasn't quite prepared to answer.

I stammered on this response, instantly cursing myself for doing exactly that. "I've never met him before in my entire life," I said, finally deciding on the truth.

Evidently, my hesitant reply didn't bode well with my credibility.

Odin stood up, his scepter banging loudly on the ground as he got to his feet. "Tell me the truth!" he demanded, and I stumbled backwards in shock, letting my fear get the best of me for a single moment. A moment too long.

I wasn't weak anymore, I reminded myself.

I had to admit, however, the Allfather was creating quite the illusion of power and fury as he stood towering over me, his eyes glaring directly into mine. I took a deep breath before I responded, steadying my tone so I didn't slip up again.

"That is the truth," I replied smoothly. "I've only… studied about him."

It was a stretch, but it seemed to do the trick. It was better than the entire truth. That would really go over well.

My comment, however, caught Thor's attention, and he finally twisted around to stare at me curiously. It wasn't the friendliness that he had shown me before, but acknowledging my presence was a recovery step. "Studied?" he questioned. "You knew our realm existed?"

I nodded, replying, "I'm a scientist."

Okay, I double majored in physics and computer science in college, which had to count for something. Stretching the truth was better than lying. I was starting to learn why Loki was so good at deception.

At just the sound of his name, a shiver went down my spine, almost as if the god of mischief was observing me. But that was insane, of course.

"I knew that it was possible," I continued. "I just didn't know to what extent." I looked around at the surroundings and gestured to the entire golden palace that I was standing in. "And now, I do."

"Is that the reason you came to our world?" Odin put in, and I instantly shook my head.

"I swear to you, I have no absolutely no idea how I got here."

One minute, I was in the movie theater with Pandora and Emerald, and the next minute, I was sitting on the Bifrost as it was being destroyed.

A tiny pang of anger settled into my heart at the thought of my two friends. It was Pandora's fault anyway. She had provoked me back in the theater, constantly teasing me and mocking out everything that I did. If she hadn't done that, I would have been able to see all of this coming.

And Emerald. She was the one who touched the screen. She made matters so much worse, just like always. So why were Pandora and Emerald the ones who were on Midgard, probably together, and I was isolated alone on Asgard?

It wasn't like they were looking for me either.

I was jolted out of my internal argument, anger bubbling up inside my stomach, as Thor spoke up again, the frown still prominent on his features. "It was no coincidence," he spoke darkly. "It could not have been."

"I wish I knew," I practically had to refrain myself from spitting crossly. "Honestly, I do. Maybe it had to do with the Bifrost malfunctioning as you broke it."

Thor shot a look in my direction, curious as to why I was suddenly placing the blame on him.

"I don't know," I swept on before he could say anything. "I wish I could tell you more."

"Why did you keep this from us?" Odin asked again, apparently not done with his interrogation.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair.

"I was afraid."

Once again, that was the truth. Completely the truth. I had been stepping on eggshells the entire time that I had been here, and now, my foot slammed down too hard and the shells cracked.

"Afraid of what?" The Allfather wouldn't let the question go, much to my dismay.

"This, frankly," I confessed, gesturing to the scene unfolding before me. "I never wanted to infringe – I just wanted to go home."

There was a slight pause as Odin and Thor exchanged a heavy glance. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be getting a reprieve or an acceptance of any kind. I had screwed up beyond compare.

"You may be getting your wish soon enough," Odin voiced, jolting me out of my dark judgments once more. "Heimdall said that you are aware of Loki's whereabouts currently?"

I swallowed harshly. "Yes."

I could see the expressions on both of their faces as they talked about their son, their brother, the one that they both cared for deeply. Even if they didn't want to admit it, I could see the guilt and sorrow etched in there. There was nothing they could do to repair the damage that they had instilled in Loki, and all of us in the room knew that. That was the saddest part of it all.

"Father-" Thor started to say as he caught a hint of what the Allfather might have in store for me. I held my breath, knowing that it couldn't have been anything light.

Odin narrowed his eyes at his son, immediately snapping, "Enough!" He spun around to look at only me, and I felt another shiver run down my spine. "You had cause to lie to us and for that, I am doing you a favor and a burden."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times before I managed to spit out, "No, I never wanted-" before I was cut off again.

What the Allfather's punishment entailed, however, was far beyond anything that I ever would have expected.

"I have enough dark magic to send you down to Midgard to retrieve Loki and send him back to Asgard alone. If you succeed in your mission, you may stay on your realm and return home."

Except this version of Midgard wasn't my home. I wouldn't be returning home anytime soon. There was nothing left for me but ruin and despair. I was alone.

I shook my head. "I don't think-"

"Father," Thor tried again, even noticing the hesitation and fear that I tried so hard to conceal. "Allow me to do the deed."

I wasn't weak anymore.

I took a step forward defiantly. "How is he supposed to listen to me," I pointed out fiercely, "a mortal woman he has never met?"

"That is for you to figure out," Odin nodded, pointing his staff in my direction.

Thor accepted defeat, moving to stand beside his father, and for the first time, I felt terror creep its way into my heart, mixing with the anger and fury already placed there.

"Thor," I croaked out desperately, seeking his attention for the last time. "I can't-"

I had no idea where I was going or what was going to happen next. I had changed the order of events. I had changed everything, and nothing was certain anymore. All I had with me was the constant stream of emotions flooding throughout my system and fueling the anxiety that threatened to consume me. I was done for.

"Then this is goodbye Lady Valencia," Thor said, and I knew it was over.

Seeing the cold hard gaze that stared back at me was only confirmation that I had lost the only friend I had in this universe. I swallowed once more before completely washing away the rest of my emotions.

I wasn't weak.

I nodded coolly before taking a step away from the Asgardians. "I'm sorry," I murmured before closing my eyes and accepting defeat.

I felt a warm spark of some energy flood around me, encompassing me like a butterfly ready to hatch. Only the longer I stayed in this cocoon, the more I burned. The energy sparks continued to flow, and if I dared to open my eyes, flashes of color surrounded my vision. There was nothing else. I half wondered if I was dead before I felt the coolness of the ground against my cheek. When I truly opened my eyes, I saw a pair of eyes staring down at me curiously.

"Who the hell are you?" the eyes demanded, and I struggled to sit up, feeling abnormally fine from whatever had just happened to me.

As I got a better look at the person in question, I knew that the Allfather's dark magic did the trick. I had made it to Midgard. I had even made it to the one place that I knew Loki would be.

That was because Clint Barton was currently the man in my vision.


	12. Chapter 12

**PANDORA**

I hate surprises.

The last time someone surprised me, I ended up punching someone in the face. To be fair, it was a blind date, and he deserved it.

It was safe to say that I wasn't expecting any more surprises for a while. My friends had learned their lesson. But, as I should have known, getting thrown into a new universe tended to throw a wrench in those plans.

When the knock on our apartment door came in the middle of the night, I had groaned and mumbled some curse words. Steve, being the world's largest gentleman, answered it anyway. It wasn't until they asked for me that I rolled out of bed and caught a glimpse of the black hooded figure at the door.

Steve sensed my hesitation and tried his hardest to politely shoo the caller away. However, I had already seen the figure standing at the door. I had to admit, I was intrigued, and if it came to it, at least I knew I had a mean right hook.

Then, she lowered her hood.

My knees threatened to collapse on their own as I took in the face of my best friend whom I was about to lose hope of ever seeing again. Emerald stared back at me, a smile creeping up at the corners of her lips.

"Is it really you?" I questioned, my hands flying to my mouth.

She untucked her long blonde hair from the black hoodie, tilting her head to one side. "It's me," she said with tears in her eyes.

I didn't waste another minute before I yanked Emerald into the largest hug I could muster at two o'clock in the morning. "I thought I would never see you again," I sobbed, squeezing her tightly.

I was afraid that if I let go, I would wake up from this dream and she would fade away again.

"I always had hope."

I could feel the vibrations of Emerald's voice within the hug, and that only made me grip onto her tighter. She gave me a sad smile as she finally wrenched away from our grasp and took my hands in hers.

"Have you heard from Val?" she asked softly.

I shook my head, feeling despair creep into my heart. "I was hoping she was with you," I responded, biting my lip.

In my excitement, I had almost forgotten about our other friend, lost somewhere in this universe. There was no way that two of us ended up here and one of us didn't. I had to believe that.

Emerald saw the look that crossed my face and gave me a sympathetic one in return. Something told me the same thought came over her too.

"She'll find us," she said, squeezing my hands gently. "If we managed to find each other, she will too."

I smiled back at her. Man, I had missed the constant ray of sunshine that Emerald was.

My thoughts stopped completely when I heard a slight cough behind me. I almost jumped in the air, forgetting that we had an audience. Emerald's gaze shifted past mine and landed on the man that I had completely neglected behind me.

"Oh shit, I've been rude," I said, slipping away from Emerald for a moment and throwing my arm around Steve's shoulders. "Em, meet Steve Rogers. Steve, this is Emerald Maitland."

Steve immediately held out a hand towards Emerald, a small smile appearing on his tired face. "You're the best friend, then," he commented.

Emerald accepted his handshake with a slight flush on her cheeks. I gave her a lot of credit for keeping calm when she was face to face with Captain America. For the first time, I wondered what had happened to her while I was sharing meals with a super soldier.

"Guilty," Emerald finally responded, smiling right back at Steve. "And as the best friend," she smirked. "I approve of this." She took a step back and gestured to the two of us.

I frowned, clearly confused for a solid moment, before I nearly jumped away from Steve, removing my arm from his shoulder as quickly as possible.

"What!" I exclaimed.

Steve shook his head, only getting Emerald's insinuations when I did. "No, there's nothing going on-"

"Between us, no," I interjected, trying to compose myself.

From the smirk still plastered on Emerald's face, I was unsuccessful. A skeptical look crossed over her before she sighed, giving up on the argument.

"You two share an apartment," she pointed out.

I could have told her all of the details of our living space, of how Steve and I barely even talked the first month or so we knew each other, of how he was helping me train. But instead, I merely sighed. It was too late for these kinds of explanations.

"It's a long story."

"One we'll all have time for in the morning," pointed out Steve, and I shot him a grateful glance. "I'm afraid we only have two bedrooms, but I can offer you the couch."

I, on the other hand, gave him an incredulous glance. "The couch?" I demanded, raising both of my eyebrows. "I thought you were old-school."

"What?" questioned Steve. He really was clueless when it came to women.

I heard a snort from Emerald, one that I dutifully ignored. Steve continued to give me the same blank stare, and I rolled my eyes, giving up.

"Whatever Em," I said. "You can sleep in my bed."

After all of that, Emerald only shook her head with a tiny smile on her face. "I'm sorry," she commented. "I would have stopped you sooner, but that was just amusing. I have to be getting back to my place. Tony will be out of his mind with worry since he probably figured out I hacked his computer by now."

If I hadn't been standing next to Captain America, I would have thought I heard her incorrectly.

"Tony," I repeated, holding my hands up in the air. "Like Tony Stark." I paused, letting her words sink in further. "Em, don't tell me you're staying in Stark Tower."

"Guilty."

Emerald smirked, lifting her black hood back over her head gently. The sparkle in her eyes was the same, but I could see all of the other changes in her. She had hacked Tony's computer, she had gotten into this apartment building, and I didn't want to know what else she had done.

"Emerald Maitland!" I exclaimed, picturing all of the scenarios in my head.

She covered my mouth in an instant, glancing around to each side. "I don't want to wake up the guards," she shushed. "I have to come back the way I came in."

I paused, letting Steve beat me to the punch, figuratively this time. "How exactly did you come in here?" he wondered aloud, taking the question right out of my brain.

Emerald grinned again. "There are a lot of things that you don't know about me," she said to Steve before turning back to me. "And a lot of new things you still have to learn."

She pulled me back into another hug, one that I returned gratefully. I hadn't realized how much I needed this.

"Tomorrow," she finished, pulling away reluctantly. "Come to Stark Tower around noon."

"You have a lot of explaining to do," I commented, although it felt like my insides were exploding. I was actually going to meet Tony Stark. I was actually going to the real Stark Tower. It hardly seemed real.

Emerald gave me one last grin before she scampered away from the two of us, darting down the hallway with stealth that I had never seen before.

It hit me in that moment as I thought back on everything that had just occurred. I knew what had changed about Emerald. That sparkle in her eye, it wasn't excitement like it usually was. This time, it was thrill.

I was bouncing out of my skin the next morning when Steve and I took the long walk through Times Square. Somehow, my legs knew how to get to Stark Tower subconsciously, and I half-wondered if it was programmed in my blood.

Steve, always the pessimist, wasn't as excited as I was. He kept looking over his shoulder like we were being followed, and while that was always a legitimate concern of mine, I knew it wasn't for the right reason today.

"Are you sure you want me tagging along?" he questioned for what seemed like the millionth time.

I shook my head. "I promise you," I said. "Emerald's my OG best friend, and I want her to love my new best friend as much as I do."

A flush creeped up on Steve's cheeks, but I could tell I didn't help to ease any tension. "I'm happy for you," he insisted. "I just don't understand why-"

I didn't let him finish another argument, just like he learned to stop questioning my modern-day slang. "I barely go anywhere without you anymore," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders softly.

That part was true.

I couldn't think of the last time that I was alone other than running to the grocery store or entertaining Phil when he stopped by. Steve was the only friend I had, prior to last night, and it looked like I was the only one he had. I knew he preferred to be alone, but I liked to think that he enjoyed my company too.

"It's just…" Steve trailed off, a wistful gaze crossing his eyesight. It hadn't shown itself in quite some time, but it still made me wince every time I saw it. I knew the pain he was going through. "The last time I heard the name Stark," he finished.

I wanted to slap myself for being so ignorant. I had been so caught up in being with Emerald again that I forgot about the baggage she brought along with her too.

"Shit, that's right. You and Howard were besties."

I glanced back over at the soldier once more, and a twang filled my heart. I really was ignorant. Here I was, so joyous and gleeful because I was going to see my best friend again. And here Steve was, knowing that he wasn't going to be as fortunate as I.

I was an idiot.

"And now, I'm going to meet his son," he commented, shaking his head in disbelief. He paused, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk. "Is this ever going to get easier?"

"No."

He gave me a surprised glance which only prompted a soft smile from me. "I'm being honest," I explained, knowing that brutal honesty was better than comforting lies. "But you're not going to get rid of me that easily. I'm here for you, Steve."

Silence lapsed over us as we continued to walk until Stark Tower loomed over us. I froze in front of Grand Central, staring at the skyscraper with my jaw dropped. As a self-proclaimed Marvel fanatic, this was one of the greatest moments of my life.

Steve was even left speechless, although I had a sneaky feeling that it was the opposite of what I was feeling. I was almost positive he wanted to tear it down with his bare hands.

"Why did I survive that crash?"

I was so fixated on the structure, however, that I almost missed Steve's last question.

I simply smiled in response. "Because your story's not over yet."

I didn't wait for a reply from my companion before I buzzed the button on the main door, waiting for the invisible security of JARVIS to scan us. I wasn't quite sure how to handle this, mostly because the building was finished but not completely online yet. Nonetheless, I heard a click from under my fingertips as the door unlocked itself.

"42nd floor!" came the electronic voice of Emerald from the intercom.

As we exited the elevator, I was instantly enveloped in a giant hug. I laughed against Emerald's arms and squeezed her back.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said as we pulled apart, grinning widely. "Thank you."

The same emotions passed through her eyes that I had been feeling all morning.

"Why the hell are you thanking me?" I questioned, shaking my head.

That was certainly true. I would have given my two feet to be standing inside Stark Tower, and having my best friend beside me was an added bonus. A really really great added bonus.

I took a minute as she laughed to examine her. She had her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders like she usually did. Her clothes, however, were the first change I noticed. She had the same style as she usually did, sporting a long sleeve tight-fitting dress, but the price tag had been drastically changed. She was Stark-ified.

"I can't get over that you're actually here," Emerald commented.

She shook her head, biting her lip. I watched her gaze shift past my shoulder towards where Steve was standing by the elevator, looking completely lost per usual. Once again, I felt bad for being rude, but I had a lot of catching up to do.

"And Steve!" she exclaimed, her voice squeaking with surprise.

"Lovely to see you again, Miss Maitland," he responded ever so politely.

I rolled my eyes as he finally made his way over to our side and shook Emerald's hand again.

"Emerald," she corrected with a smile.

She held Steve's gaze for a moment, and I could tell that her mind was going a million miles a minute. There were certainly some things that didn't change with her, and for that, I was grateful.

After the moment passed, she released his grasp and turned back to face me with an unreadable expression. "Dora, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, taking my arm and pulling me off to one side.

I raised my eyebrow as she used my nickname that she knew I hated. I had a quick war flashback to when I heard my name called in the park, and I wondered if that really had been Emerald that day. I didn't have time to ask her now.

"Why the hell did you bring him here?" she demanded, her hands shaking as she whispered her question in my ear.

I frowned, missing something clearly. "Why wouldn't I?" I asked, tilting my head to one side.

"Because Tony and Steve aren't supposed to meet until Germany."


	13. Chapter 13

**EMERALD**

It was rude to throw Captain America out of my house.

At least, that was what I told myself over and over again as I tried to convince myself that my terrible thought was a bad idea. It was for the good of the timeline, though.

Pandora continued to gape at me as the news slowly dawned on her. Obviously, she hadn't thought this one through, and I was afraid of what the consequences were going to be. I had already messed things up with Tony and Pepper just by showing up and had been on my best behavior ever since. I didn't want to think about the damage Pandora might have caused already.

If she wanted to respond to my accusation, she never got the chance.

"Em!"

Shit.

I winced, glancing over my shoulder to see Tony heading towards me from down the hallway. I had forgotten to mention that I had invited Pandora over, and I certainly wasn't about to tell Pepper about it.

Ever since the announcement about Stark Tower's grand opening, it seemed her feelings for Tony had reappeared. That was something I should have been happy about. I wasn't. I certainly wasn't about to admit that either.

"Do you want to tell me what you've done to JARVIS this time?" he demanded, shaking his head as he caught sight of me. "There you are."

I hadn't really spoken to him much since last night. He had, of course, noticed that I hacked his computer, thanks to JARVIS ratting me out. I then reprogrammed a line of JARVIS's code to return the favor, causing the AI to speak only in Latin. Unfortunately, Tony knew Latin.

I didn't even turn around as Tony approached me, but Pandora noticed him right away, much to my displeasure.

"Oh my god." The words just seemed to slip out of her mouth. "Oh my god, you're Tony Stark."

Tony frowned, glancing between the two of us as he reached my side. "And you're… a ginger standing in the middle of my tower," he responded.

I gave him a horrible look. "It's not technically your tower," I pointed out, not even bothering to correct him on how rude he was being.

"My name is on the building, it's my tower." He turned back to Pandora with the same confused expression. "Which still leads me back to why is there a ginger in my tower."

I seriously wondered if he ever considered what words were spewing from his lips as he said them or whether it was a surprise to him as well.

"Would it kill you to be polite?" I questioned, folding my arms across my chest. "It's not like Pepper doesn't have red hair, you know."

"Hers is more strawberry blonde," he offered. "This is just…" he trailed off, picking up a piece of Pandora's hair and dropping it. "Ginger."

I opened my mouth to protest Tony's words again, but I took one look at Pandora's facial expression and stopped my words in my mouth. She was still in clear shock that Tony Stark was standing in front of her, let alone touching her hair. I doubted that anything he said even processed in her brain.

As if to back up my thoughts, Pandora continued to gape in his direction. "You're Tony Stark," she repeated dreamily. She turned to me with the same look and whispered in my direction, "That's Tony Stark."

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I shook her gently as if to jiggle her thoughts back to normal, hoping at least to wake her from this dream state.

"This is Pandora Whitman, my favorite person on this planet."

Tony shot me a look, holding a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Em," he commented, but a smile did cross his face, so I considered that a win for now.

Pandora, on the other hand, stood up straight, unlocking herself from my grasp and holding out her hand for Tony to shake. "Pandora Whitman," she introduced. "Not a terrorist."

I couldn't help but laugh as she tried to compose herself. It really wasn't going well.

Tony shook her hand, his smirk growing wider, before he turned back to me with another annoyed glance. "So," he began slowly. "First, you decide to hack my computer, and then you invite strangers over to an incomplete masterpiece."

It was close enough.

"You're not wrong there," I managed to say, giving him a sheepish grin. To be fair, Tony would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed, and we both knew it.

"I wouldn't exactly call this a masterpiece."

There was no going back now.

In all of the excitement, I had forgotten about Steve again. I knew I should have kicked him out.

Tony and I spun around simultaneously as Steve took a slow walk over to our sides. He threw Pandora and me an annoyed glance that we had forgotten about him again, and I didn't really blame him.

A part of me, however, was mentally preparing for the shitstorm that was going to arise from Tony and Steve meeting way too early in the movie.

Tony raised an eyebrow and leaned back to my side. "Who's the lurker?" he whispered. Except it wasn't really a whisper. Tony Stark was not capable of whispering.

"That's Captain America," I said with a defeated sigh, trying not to show how much I was hating this moment.

He only looked Steve up and down further after my comment. "Ah, the one and only," he commented.

"Mister Stark," Steve replied, holding out a hand for Tony to take.

He didn't take it.

I winced, knowing how their relationship played out in the Avengers movie. I wasn't getting my hopes up that this meeting was going to go smoothly.

"From the way my dad talked you up, I would have expected more," Tony said. "I don't see the big deal." He turned back to me, my mouth clearly falling open at his comments. "Do you see it?"

I was in no mood to entertain his thoughts, and by the wide-eyed stare that Pandora was giving me, I knew she was out of the question as well.

"So," Tony continued when no one else responded. "How long will you be staying?"

A ding interrupted the argument that was about to erupt, and I sighed with relief as Pepper sauntered into the room. I had never been so glad to see her in my entire life.

"I didn't know we had guests!" she exclaimed, beelining her way over to the growing group. She took one look at Pandora's appalled face and my glare being sent Tony's way and let a chuckle explode from her lips. "I'm sure Emerald has already apologized on his behalf but allow me to do the same."

My annoyed glance shifted to Pepper next as she held out a hand towards Pandora. "I'm Pepper Potts," she introduced herself.

Pandora, once again, jolted herself out of her reverie, shaking Pepper's hand vigorously. "Pandora Whitman," she echoed. "Not a terrorist."

I laughed as a puzzled expression crossed Pepper's face. "I didn't think-" she started to say.

"It's her new thing," I explained gently, winking towards my friend.

Steve took that opportunity to head away from Tony's side and smile towards Pepper. I caught a glimpse of Pandora narrowing her eyes at this new budding friendship, and I held back a smirk.

Pandora had never liked Pepper. I was always the one who was infatuated with her, right up until I actually met her. That was the part that was killing me.

"I'm Steve-"

"Rogers," Pepper cut him off, already shaking his hand. "I guessed."

Pandora physically stepped closer to the pair. "I've heard all about you and Tony," she said, trying her best to turn the attention back on herself.

Steve and Pepper both gave her odd glances, and I resisted the urge to slap a hand over my friend's mouth. However, she immediately started stammering to try and cover her tracks.

"I mean, your names are all over everywhere. You're practically bigger stars than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, everyone knows who you are, and I… I'm just going to stop talking now."

"Looks like we've got a fan," Pepper commented as she smiled towards Tony. I opened my mouth to re-alert my presence, but Pepper turned back to Steve and Pandora as quickly as she had left them. "Can I get you two anything to drink?"

Steve smiled again politely. "Water would be lovely, thank you."

Pandora groaned, running a hand through her hair. "I'll take a gin and tonic," she announced.

I immediately shot her a glare at her statement. Alcohol was definitely not going to solve Pandora's running mouth. She cleared her throat, noticing my look, and nodded twice.

"Water's good."

Pepper nodded with a tiny smile crossing her face and strolled around the corner to where one of Stark Tower's many bars was located. As she disappeared from view, Tony clapped his hands together, causing Pandora and me to jump at least a foot in the air at the same time. At least we still had the same reflexes.

"I may be rude," Tony commented, smirking in my direction, "but any friend of Em's is a friend of mine." He forced a grin on his face, gesturing us further into the room. "Especially you, Captain."

Pandora raised an eyebrow. "Uh, rude."

"Sorry Ginger, but we have history," he said, sitting down on the nearest couch next to Steve.

I gave a worried look at their retreating backs before I turned back to Pandora, continuing to apologize on Tony's behalf.

"Yes, he's always this obnoxious," I said with a laugh before I lowered my voice. "Just like the movies."

That was true. So far, other than breaking up Tony and Pepper, this was everything that I had grown up with.

Pandora bit her lip, stealing another glance towards Tony and Steve who were now fully engrossed in conversation. "So, what's going to happen now?" she questioned worriedly.

"Pandora, I broke up Tony and Pepper."

She looked taken aback by my statement. "Purposefully?" she asked hopefully.

"No, of course not. I have no idea how, but somehow just from me appearing here, it happened."

"Well, that's good, right? Now you can swoop in and-"

I shot her another glare. "This isn't fantasy anymore," I said. "We're changing things just by being here." I sighed. "I just hope the path will correct itself."

There was a long pause that settled between the two of us.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," Pandora broke the silence with her whisper, finally voicing the fear that I had kept hidden to everyone but myself since the day I arrived here.

I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. I was afraid of letting her out of my eyesight again, knowing how quickly things were changing around here.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," I tried to comfort her.

"But Val-"

A twinge of regret flowed through my veins for a moment. Two of us had been reunited, but Valencia was still out there somewhere. But I couldn't think about that. I had to focus on the present now.

"She'll find us," I said, not sure if I was trying to reassure Pandora or myself. "After all, I found you."

Pandora sighed as I stood there, enveloping her in my arms for the longest time, before Steve's voice started to project across the room.

"I just don't understand how you can be even more insufferable than Howard."

Steve's voice carried through the airstream of the area and flooded straight in our ears. This was the moment that I was expecting – when everything fell apart.

"I try to alienate myself as much as possible from my father," Tony responded quickly, shrugging his shoulders.

Steve wasn't giving up that easily. "Your father was a great man," he tried to protest, but Tony wouldn't let him.

"Yeah, and he was murdered for it. He left me alone, motherless, and with a psychotic guardian. Not even my godmother would come and see me anymore."

I winced. "Time to do some damage control," I murmured as I untangled myself from Pandora.

As I moved across the room at record pace, I shouted, "Boys!" earning the attention of them both. "The past is the past, and we can't change that. You're both so successful despite everything that's come your way."

Pandora nodded in agreement, heading over to Steve's side and taking a seat next to him. I examined the two of them as they gave each other a soft smile. They may not have claimed to be together, but I could see how much they meant to each other.

Even if we were changing the storyline, maybe it was for the best.

That was the first time I had ever considered that.

"I need a drink," Tony grumbled, jolting me out of my thoughts as he stalked past me and headed straight towards the bar.

At that exact moment, Pepper passed the infuriated Tony to bring the water to Steve and Pandora, immediately noticing the dark look that crossed his face. I glanced back and forth between all of the situations, my mind being pulled in different directions. All it took was one tilt of the head from Pandora for me to go sprinting after Tony, hopefully to stop his alcoholism from returning.

"Tony!" I shouted before I caught up to him and grabbed his arm, whirling him around with a worried expression. "Hey hey hey," I added, trying unsuccessfully to grab his eyesight with my own. "What's going on?"

"What's going on?" he echoed dryly. "How about the fact that the man that my father loved much more than me is now sitting in my living room?"

I gripped his arm tighter as he tried to escape my grasp. I didn't say anything as I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest. I started to realize what was eating up Tony in an instant. I had never seen him like this before, and I knew that he was already vulnerable enough without adding Steve to the equation.

Tony was deciding whether to let me in or not, and I hoped that the concerned expression on my face did the trick. There was a loud sigh, and I knew I passed the test. We had been through too much to go back now.

"When I was five, I built my first circuit board. It was the best memory I had with my dad. We spent the whole day working on it, and he kept smiling at me like he was so proud of me. It wasn't until years later that I realized there were cameras there, capturing the whole event for a publicity stunt. I was a publicity stunt. My favorite memory I had of my dad was a lie."

Tears threatened to well up in my eyes as I listened to Tony speak. I tried my hardest to fight them back, knowing that crying wasn't going to help Tony's case.

"There were more pictures and more memories of that man around my house than me. Captain America was the son that my dad wanted, and instead, he got me."

I blinked back more tears, my heart breaking with every word that Tony said. I squeezed his arm gently to let him know I was still there.

"Tone."

The nickname slipped out of my mouth, and he glanced over at me in surprise, shaking his head. I wasn't sure if this was a nickname he hadn't heard in a while, or if he was just surprised that I would feel so comfortable around him that I would call him that. Either way, I had shocked myself too.

"I don't want your sympathy, Em," he spoke quietly, breaking our eye contact.

I shook my head persistently. "No, what you need is a hug," I commented before I closed the distance between us and pulled him into a tight embrace. I didn't care if he protested.

I wasn't about to ruin the moment by voicing what I knew about Howard Stark, especially since Tony would question how I knew so much. I wasn't about to have that conversation today.

"I-I'm not good with my past."

Feeling the vibrations of Tony's voice on my shoulder comforted me. I heaved a large sigh, reluctantly pulling away from the embrace.

"I know," I responded quietly, keeping the smile happy on my face. "Steve is just as broken and lost as you are. Talk about what you have in common."

Tony raised an eyebrow, already snapping back in the sarcastic mode that everyone knew him as. It was these few moments that I appreciated, when I was able to see the real Tony Stark, the actual man underneath the machine.

"Won't that make him feel worse?" he questioned.

"Just talk," I snapped, all but pushing him back into the room.

I stood at the edge of the room, leaning against a wall as I watched Tony make his way back to the couch where Pepper, Pandora and Steve were conversing. He sat down, running a hand through his goatee and heaving a large sigh. For a single moment, I thought an actual apology was going to appear from his lips.

I should have known better.

"So uh," he began awkwardly. "Peggy Carter was my godmother."

The news should have shocked me, but I only slapped my forehead with my hand at the timing. He was a lost cause.

Surprisingly, the rest of the night continued without any more hitches. Steve and Tony had a long talk, one that was overdue from what I could tell, while I took Pandora on a tour of the tower. I had tried to pry more information about Steve from her unsuccessfully as she kept her lips firmly sealed about their relationship. To be fair, I wasn't very forthcoming either.

"And what about you and Tony?" she retorted, flipping the subject on me.

"Oh no, you don't get to do that."

Pandora made a face. "Are you really going to try and tell me that there's nothing going on there?" she questioned. "I saw the way you two were talking-"

I held up a hand to cut her off. "Trust me, Dora," I reassured. "There's nothing there. I'm part of the Stark team, and I'm his partner in crime now too. We have to trust each other in life if we're going to trust each other out in the field."

"Come on, Em. You've been in love with Tony Stark for years. You're really trying to convince me that you have no feelings right now?"

I didn't want to lie to her.

"Pandora, this isn't a game," I said, stopping in my tracks. "Whatever feelings I may or may not have don't matter. I can't screw anything else up. I'm not about to risk things again for my feelings for a fictional character. He's not fictional anymore." I paused, trying to wipe the smirk from my friend's face. "And he's almost twice my age."

"Oh please, age difference is so yesterday."

When we got back to the group, I noticed that the mood in the room had lifted significantly. I wasn't going to complain, even when Pepper suggested game night. Pandora, being the mischievous friend I remembered, immediately suggested Cards Against Humanity.

"This is ridiculous!" Tony exclaimed, throwing his cards on the table in defeat. "How the hell can a man from the 1940s possibly beat all of us in a board game that was just invented?"

I smirked, nudging the man sitting next to me. "Don't be a sore loser," I scolded with a tiny chuckle. It felt good to laugh again, even if I was pushing away the nagging thoughts Pandora had resurfaced.

"Maybe being old-fashioned is the key to winning the game," Steve joked, earning groans from the rest of us around him.

Pandora held up a card to his face. "Do you even know what this means?" she asked.

"Reverse cowgirl," Steve read.

His face didn't immediately flush as it had throughout the game with some of the more obvious cards. I laughed out loud as Pandora shook her head.

"My point exactly."

"Alright Capsicle," Tony started to say before he stopped himself, snapping his fingers. "Capsicle. I like it. I'm calling you that from now on. Alright, you win."

Pandora yawned in reply. "As much as I would love to stay here forever, we should probably get back."

She turned to Steve with a sad smile, knowing that he felt the same way. As much as I didn't want to ever let her leave my sight again, I knew that this wasn't the end. It was a beautiful start to a new chapter of our story.

"You're more than welcome to stay here," Pepper offered, but Pandora only shook her head.

"Thanks, but our cozy apartment is just that… our cozy apartment."

I got to my feet, pulling Pandora into a tight hug. "Thank you," I whispered against her hair, clutching her for as long as possible. "I love you, Dora. We're going to do this again."

"I wouldn't miss it," Pandora said with a grin before turning back to Steve and heading towards the elevator. I smiled as they left, and Tony raised a hand in farewell.

"So long Ging!" he called after Pandora and Steve as they exited Stark Tower for the last time. "Capsicle."

Pandora rolled her eyes over her shoulder towards the billionaire. "It's Pandora, for the record."

Tony only smirked. "I'm aware."

The next time I would see Pandora or Steve, everything would change.


	14. Chapter 14

**VALENCIA**

From the moment that I returned to Midgard, I knew I didn't belong here. I wasn't the same person that I was when I left. I was stronger, I was fueled by rage, and I was ready to take back what had been stolen from me. This was no longer the home that I remembered. This was no longer where I strived to be, especially because this wasn't the world that I remembered. My life had been flipped upside down when I was robbed of my life all of those months ago.

I couldn't believe that several months had passed since I had seen anyone that I remotely remembered. I missed my family, my friends, my old life, and unfortunately, I had the sinking feeling that I wouldn't be returning any time soon. I had hoped that Midgard would be the same as when I had left, but this was not the world I remembered. I had nothing left here for me. I had nothing to go on even if I managed to find Loki and convince him to return to Asgard, which was a feat that I wasn't expecting to complete. And if somehow, Odin's plan succeeded, what would happen to me after? I was sure that Pandora and Emerald were around somewhere, but they were the reason I was stuck in this mess.

Perhaps I was better off alone.

As I held my head, I sat up with yet another groan. My eyesight was still fuzzy, and I wasn't quite sure how Odin had transported me, but I knew that dark magic had surrounded me. I could still feel it there, wrapping around me like a warm blanket and inviting me in. To be honest, I thought about letting the darkness in and consuming the fury and anger that already made its home in my heart. But one Clint Barton ruined any malicious plans that my subconscious decided on.

I vaguely remembered him asking a question, but I couldn't for my life remember what it was. Instead of simply asking him again, I sat there, holding my head with a confused expression on my face. I was lost, and he could obviously see that.

"Listen miss," he finally snapped, sitting back on his heels before popping back up to his feet. "I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but you can't be here. Director Fury is getting here any minute now, and I need to do my damn job."

Apparently, Clint was snarky when he didn't get answers. I didn't want to be on the other side of him during an interrogation.

At the mention of Fury, however, an idea crossed my brain. There was no way Odin's plan would work, and the Allfather had to know that. Loki would never listen to a mortal woman even if my timing was right and our paths crossed. Nonetheless, I was already developing a secondary plan of my own. I had to stop this madness before it began. I couldn't let innocent people die when I had the power to save them.

"Fury!" I shook my head, getting to my feet way too quickly. I grabbed the railing for support as the black spots reappeared in my vision once more. Apparently, my body was still recovering from being sent through a portal between realms. "I have to talk to him!"

Clint gave me a look that clearly showed exactly what he thought of me. I knew I had to sound completely mental, but I had to try. I had to at least try and stop it.

"Uh," he stammered. "A crazed girl who just appeared in the middle of the SHIELD headquarters? I don't think that's gonna fly very well."

I rolled my eyes. "I slipped, thank you very much."

It was the first lie I told since arriving on my home planet, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last. I folded my arms across my chest and glared back at the archer. Rage was fueling my every movement now, and it was the best feeling I had ever experienced.

"The Tesseract," I carried on. "It has to be shut off." There was a long pregnant pause before I threw my hands in the air. "You have to believe me! Hundreds of people are going to die!"

Clint raised an eyebrow, questioning, "Are you a psychic?" I gave him a disbelieving glance and he snapped his fingers together as if he had figured out some grand mystery. "Did Rumlow send you as a prank?"

I assumed Rumlow was another SHIELD agent, but for the life of me, I couldn't picture him in my mind. Emerald would know.

"I don't even know who that is," I complained, struggling to see around the agent.

However, Clint was very good at his task of blocking me from seeing anything I wasn't supposed to.

"Alright listen," he finally said. "You need to get out of here. I don't know who you are or why you decided to show up now, but you have horrible timing."

I bit my lip as Clint started to turn away from me, gesturing to the hallway that I knew was going to lead to an exit. That wasn't going to happen.

"I'm a scientist," I blurted out, feeding him the same half-truth that I had told the Asgardians.

A pang filled my stomach as I thought about Thor and Odin and the pain that I had caused them. No, this wasn't my fault. They did this to me, they cast me out, causing the same amount of damage as when Thor and now Loki were thrown away like garbage.

I held out a hand for Clint to take, plastering a grin across my face. "Valencia Flint," I introduced myself. When the archer didn't move to take my hand, I dropped it with a clear annoyed expression. I simply continued, "I know of Selvig and I've worked on… things like the Tesseract before. I know what it can do."

Clint didn't budge. "Excuse me if I don't believe you."

"It's the truth!" I exclaimed.

Well, half the truth.

Clint threw me another look that clearly stated that he didn't want anything to do with me. I nearly groaned. I was getting nowhere fast, and time was becoming more and more precious.

"If you don't stop working on the Tesseract right now," I swept on. "Hundreds of people are going to die." I paused, grabbing his arm forcefully as I realized a fact that I had been neglecting to think about sooner.

"Oh my god," I whispered, my eyes widening. "You have to get out of here."

I tried pulling him towards the hallway he had tried to usher me in, but he was stronger than I anticipated. I almost got my arm yanked off.

"You're kidding right?" he commented. "This is my job."

"Do you value your life?" I snapped, already done with playing games.

Clint shrugged. "Sure, but I value the safety of others first, which is why I'm supposed to be here with Fury and instead I'm babysitting you. Which is why you need to leave and come back when he's not here."

I opened my mouth to retort something sarcastic, but the ground underneath my feet shook and my kneecaps buckled. I immediately grabbed the railing to keep myself from tumbling off the balcony. I had figured out by now that I had ended up on the top floor of the headquarters, the same place where Clint was surveying the scientists below.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, and the archer gave me an equally worried glance. I could tell that this wasn't the first time this had happened.

Time was definitely running out.

I could tell the voices below us were getting louder as if they too were becoming concerned with the events that were to come. Except I was the only one who knew exactly what was coming for all of us, and I was the only one who could stop it.

"Where's Agent Barton?" came a loud proclamation from the main floor, causing Clint to throw an exasperated look in my direction.

"Look what you've done," he said. "I'm not doing my job." He glanced back and forth between the ground floor and my stern facial expression. There was no way he - "Stay here."

I didn't even have time to protest before he latched an arrow on the side of the balcony and ziplined down to the ground floor. I ran to the railing that I had all but clutched onto earlier and peered over the side. I wasn't completely able to make out shapes, but I could put the pieces together. Fury. Selvig. Clint. And soon to be, one furious god of mischief if I didn't do something quickly.

I closed my eyes and tried to guess how many floors down it was. Adrenaline pumped through my system as I calculated the distance in my head. There was no stairway or hallway that looked promising nearby, and I was running out of options. Clint's zipline was still at the edge of my vision. I took a deep breath, trying to control the fear that threatened to control me.

No.

I wasn't. I wasn't a weak mortal anymore.

I didn't hesitate a moment longer before I hoisted myself over the railing and latched onto the zipline, catching a ride to the main floor. I landed with a loud thud as my boots hit the tiled ground. In an instant, at least ten pairs of guns were trained directly on me.

Holding my hands in the air, I flashed Clint an apologetic look. The glare he returned was not as friendly as I would have hoped.

"Director Fury." I turned my undivided attention towards the man in question. "I'm very sorry for the rude interruption, but this couldn't wait."

The director narrowed his eye as he examined me. "And just who the hell are you?" he demanded, making no sudden movements for the agents surrounding me to lower their guns.

"Valencia Flint, I-"

"She claims she's a scientist," Clint spoke up, earning the curious stare of Fury.

He raised his eyebrows in clear surprise. "You've met her before?" he questioned to which the archer shrugged.

"We met briefly," I spoke up before Clint had the chance to rat me out. "I'm a scientist from Detroit, and I've worked on… mysterious cases, and I heard about the Tesseract technology being tested here."

Fury paused for a long moment as I explained my fabricated story, and only when the silence became uncomfortable did he motion for the agents to lower their weapons. I flashed him a grateful glance, one that he too did not return.

"Detroit?" the director echoed after the moment stretched on for what seemed like eternities. "I've never been."

I chuckled. "Nor should you want to."

I hated making small talk, especially when I knew our time was running out. However, I was intelligent enough to figure out that if I jumped to conclusions with Fury, it would backtrack us even further. There couldn't be any more delays.

"How do you know about the Tesseract, Miss…"

"Flint."

I was running myself into corners that I wasn't sure I could talk myself out of.

I took a deep breath before continuing, "In my line of work, we specialize in the foreign, the unknown. While it's never completely said, it's not hard to figure out that some of these objects I was studying were not from Earth." I paused for a moment, struggling for a connection.

When I laid eyes on the scientist busying himself in his work, however, another lightbulb went off in my head. "I've been studying Jane Foster and Erik Selvig's works for a long time now. I know about New Mexico last year."

Okay, that much was true. The amount of times I had seen the movie Thor was probably considered to be an examination.

That, at least, earned Selvig's attention. He stopped what he was fiddling with and took a slow saunter over to Fury and Clint's side, staring at me curiously. Apparently, I was the specimen of the day.

"Oh," I concluded, a smirk crossing my face. "And did I mention that I have a degree in computer programming as well?" I folded my arms across my chest. "I must say, you need better firewalls."

Fury and Clint exchanged a glance before they simultaneously pivoted around to stare at Selvig, who shrugged his shoulders. It seemed no one knew exactly what to make of me, but that was progress.

"And you came here to what, just warn me of what the Tesseract is?" Fury finally sighed. "We are quite aware, Miss Flint."

I tilted my head to one side. "You see, I don't think you do," I said, gesturing to where the Tesseract was sparking and definitely malfunctioning again. I wasn't sure how much time was left. "Your facility, from the quick glimpse that I saw, is very capable of withstanding and holding the Tesseract in itself. Your doctors and scientists are the best in the world. So why is it malfunctioning?"

Selvig ambled back over to the Cube and examined it once more, making sure not to get too close. "No one has tampered with it," he interjected, and I nodded.

"At least, not from this side," I said slowly.

Fury crossed his arms, narrowing his eye in my direction. "This side?" he questioned.

"The Tesseract is a doorway to the other end of space, right?" I started to say, but I never got the chance to finish. I knew the quote from the movie, and I must say, it did come in handy.

Clint, however, had just realized what I was saying.

His eyes had grown wider in the last minute of my speech, and he instinctively reached for his sidearm. "Doors open from both sides," he murmured.

The Tesseract glowed bright blue as the archer finished speaking and began sparking again. A loud humming noise projected throughout the room, and I winced, resisting the urge to cover my ears. The building shook around us as all of the agents sent worried glances up towards the ceiling. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it caved in on us. I wasn't sure what to expect anymore.

"You have to shut it down!" I all but shouted, but I knew I was too late.

Everyone tried to scramble, but the convulsions that the Cube was giving off was too large to stop. I knew what was coming next, but it was like I was frozen, unable to stop the events from changing even if I had tried. If only I had more time, I could have.

A large beam of energy shot directly out of the Tesseract before anyone could move and created a portal larger than anything I had ever seen before. Everyone, including myself, was frozen, helpless to do anything except watch as a man materialized out of nothing. Except it wasn't a man. I knew better than that.

The rest of the events were a blur as I tried not to hear the sounds of the people shouting and screaming as they were murdered right in front of my eyes. I tried not to see the damage that was being done, the blood being spilled, the first of many to come. I tried not to think about how I could have stopped all of this from occurring if I had just been quicker, more persuasive perhaps.

It was like I was watching the movie all over again but a thousand times worse. Seeing it with my own eyes, playing out in front of me, was so much more haunting and despairing as anything I could have imagined. It was like I was rooted to the ground, forced to watch the broken god resort to such violence. I didn't even move when the agents were either lying dead on the ground or had glowing blue eyes.

I didn't even flinch when Loki stood directly in front of me, his green eyes meeting mine. I was still frozen when he pressed his scepter to my heart wordlessly.

I waited for the numbing effect to take me over, completely controlling my every movement, my every thought – but it never came. I could sense the frustration behind the god's carefully masked face as he released the tip of the spear and tried to wipe my memories again. However, it seemed I was immune.

That shock, and only that shock, was the factor that I needed to snap me out of this numb frozen state I had succumbed to.

"Loki," I breathed out, his name just spilling out easily from my lips.

He frowned, retracting his scepter to his side and tilting his head towards me. "How do you know of me?" he questioned aloud, his voice smoother than I ever would have imagined. "Where do you come from, sorceress?"

I shook my head, finding myself unable to breathe in his presence. "Not a sorceress," I corrected. "I'm just as confused as you are."

I had a sneaky feeling why his magic wasn't working on me. I wasn't from this world.

"But," I hastily spoke up again before Loki could kill me too. "I'm not one of them. I don't work for SHIELD." There was a pause in which I could tell I confused the god. This was my only chance. "I don't hail from Asgard, but I resided there after the Bifrost was destroyed. I was sent here by the Allfather to… they want… they need you to come home."

Loki's face immediately darkened, and I knew the plan had failed. Worse, I was pretty sure Loki was starting to put the pieces together on who exactly I was.

"They know nothing of what they desire," he all but snapped. "They used me and then they cast me out, just like they did to you. If they were naïve enough to believe that I would willingly-" He broke off, letting out a tiny dark chuckle. "No, they wanted you gone too. The bigger question is, why?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"You know, mortal, I would."

My breath caught in my throat as I stayed under Loki's gaze for even longer. This was not going to end well.

"I recognize your pain," he noted, barely taking notice of what I was trying to say. "I see the hurt in your eyes from your past, your family, no your companions. They betrayed you, left you. Being alone is something I have come to know."

"How do you do it?" I found myself blurting out, forgetting for a moment that I was casually having a conversation with a murderous god.

Loki only smirked and held out his hand towards me. "I can show you."

I froze where I stood, disbelief flooding my system. I was nothing, I was a mortal, and yet Loki saw something in me that no one else had. He saw a future.

Knowing exactly what would happen if I accepted his offer, my heart continued to pound in my chest as I stared at his outstretched hand. I would become a criminal, a terrorist, condemning hundreds of people to die. Could I really live with myself if I did that?

But the look on Loki's face was different than I remembered.

Images kept floating back to the forefront of my brain, making hesitation seem less and less appealing. I had nothing left to lose. Everything had been taken away from me, and I was completely alone. Even if I found a way out of this building, I had nothing. I couldn't face Emerald or Pandora again, and I had no way home.

Loki was giving me a second chance. He was giving me hope for a new life.

Suddenly, world domination didn't sound like such a bad idea.

I met his green eyes again, determination shining behind my own. It felt like he was staring into the depths of my soul, capturing each and every emotion behind my skin. It felt right.

The moment I slipped my hand in his, all regrets flew from my brain. I could feel his icy skin soft against mine as he squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to his side.

It was time to embrace my dark side.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Young God - Halsey

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	15. Chapter 15

**PANDORA**

When I woke up the next morning, I was still smiling from the previous night's events.

After several months of being with Steve and only Steve, I was starting to go crazy. Seeing my insane blonde friend was exactly the breath of fresh air that I needed. Seeing her wrapped up in the arms of Tony Stark was just the perfect bonus.

Okay, that was a little wishful thinking. Emerald had made it very clear that there was nothing between them, but I could sense every glance, touch, hug. I knew better. I was the matchmaker.

No matter what was going between us, things were changing in the Marvel universe. I could only imagine the damage that Val was getting herself into.

A knock on the door, however, jolted me out of my thoughts. I groaned as I forced myself out of bed, cursing at whomever was behind the door. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to flatten it out as best I could. It was too early for this.

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes before I yanked open the door. "Do you know what time it is?" I snapped before I realized who was standing there.

What I was not expecting was a completely disheveled Nick Fury, looking like he had just been through a war. His coat was ripped, he had several cuts and bruises covering what skin I could see, and if I stared long enough at his shirt, I could have sworn I saw stained blood there.

"Okay," I commented, folding my arms across my chest. "I'm intrigued."

I hadn't seen Fury since the day I arrived in this universe, and I must say, seeing him today was too soon.

"There's been a situation," came my only reply as he held himself up on the doorframe.

I noticed he kept checking over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him, but of course, I wasn't about to let him in. I wasn't going to let him drag either Steve or me into a situation that I wanted no part of.

However, at his words, I immediately thought the worst. "What kind of situation?" I questioned. "Is Emerald okay?"

Fury, at first, gave me a bizarre look before he leaned back, shaking his head. "Of course, she would have visited. So, I assume Stark and the Captain have been acquainted?"

I shrugged. "It went better than I expected," I admitted. I wasn't about to give him any more information than necessary.

"Is he around?" Fury immediately changed the subject, peering over my shoulder to look for the familiar blond super soldier. "I need to speak with him."

I chose the lesser of two evils. Today was not the day to pick a fight with the SHIELD director.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh, turning around and yelling Steve's name over my shoulder. I knew I wasn't waking him. He had probably been up for hours.

I turned back to Fury a moment later, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "Wait," I interrupted. "You never told me. Is Emerald okay?"

Fury rolled his eye, stepping past me into the apartment and shutting the door behind him. "Your secret agent girlfriend is just fine," he said with an exasperated tone.

I ignored his sarcasm, at least I hoped it was sarcasm. From what I knew about the Iron Man movies, she would have only met Fury once or twice. However, I knew how badly things had started to change. I only hoped that Emerald hadn't done something else that we would all regret later.

It took a few more minutes of awkward silence before Steve appeared in the room, yanking on his usual white t-shirt. He definitely had like ten of the same one.

"Director," he said with a nod. He seemed not as surprised than I was to see him, but I knew that he was less than pleased that his morning routine had been interrupted.

"There's been a situation."

Steve frowned in response. "What kind of situation?" he questioned.

"Like you've been diagnosed with cancer and you're dying kind of situation?" I blurted out, unable to help myself from making some sarcastic remark. "Because frankly, you don't look too hot. Or like something happened at SHIELD kind of-"

I cut myself off, the situation at hand suddenly dawning on me. Everything made sense. The bullet wound in Fury's chest. The dejected look on his face. The limp in his step. He really had been through a war.

"Oh my god, something happened at SHIELD," I said without a pause.

That could only mean one thing: The Avengers had begun.

Fury didn't hesitate to give me an annoyed glance. "I am cancer free, thank you," he commented, clearly not appreciating my humor. "The headquarters was attacked last night."

"What happened?" Steve asked, his forehead crinkling with worry.

"Terrorist attack."

I could have called bullshit on Fury because of course, I knew exactly what really happened. However, I was already starting to discover what was happening to this universe because of us. I couldn't afford to intervene more than necessary.

"Something tells me you can't say a lot here," Steve voiced both of our thoughts aloud.

"I'm not at liberty to, not yet."

"Yet?" I pressed, refusing to let this one go. Fury, however, was an expert at ignoring me.

"I know you have trouble sleeping," Fury stated to Steve's face who frowned, backing up in confusion.

He clenched his jaw, slowly closing his eyes and reopening them. "I've slept for seventy years, sir," he quipped. "I think I've had my fill."

I wasn't going to let Fury keep pretending that I didn't exist. "The world has changed, Director," I said. "Not just from Steve's time to here but day to day. That's enough to make anyone lose sleep."

"Are you here with a mission, sir, or are you just going to criticize my sleep patterns?" he shot back, his mood declining with every word that came out of Fury's mouth. He wasn't alone in that regard.

"I am."

"Trying to get me back in the world?"

Fury shook his head. "Trying to save it."

Steve tilted his head to one side, clearly waiting for a response. If Fury was trying to be nonchalant about the pointed gaze he shot me, he failed.

"If you want me," Steve said simply, "you're getting her too."

"What?" I spluttered. "Steve-"

Fury seemed just as skeptical as I was. "She's not a soldier," he said. "She can't win this war."

I threw him an exasperated look. I probably wasn't cut out to be a part of the Avengers, but I wasn't helpless. I hadn't been training for nothing.

"Okay, wait a minute-"

"I've been training her daily," Steve explained, as the two men continued to talk about me as if I wasn't there. "She's as good of a soldier as any one of your agents."

Okay, that was stretching it.

"Is that true?"

Fury turned his head towards me, and I didn't hesitate. I wasn't going to contradict whatever Steve was saying.

"Every word," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "Steve and I are a team."

"You aren't a superhero, you aren't a SHIELD agent, they won't let you in on this program."

"Do you think-" I started to say, but naturally Fury wouldn't let me finish. However, the next words out of his mouth were ones that I was not expecting.

"Your assessment is at four o'clock."

My jaw fell completely slack. "What?" I spluttered.

"You say you have the skills of an agent, so prove to me that you have what it takes. Prove to me that you can make the tough calls. At four."

I shook my head, my red hair now completely messed up. "You're serious?" I asked. "Oh my god, I... I..." I couldn't find the words to even say to that.

Fury was giving me the chance to be a SHIELD agent. An actual agent.

Thankfully, Steve cut me off before my babbling got too far. "So, what did you come here to say?" he questioned. Even though he was trying to stay calm, I could see the smile threatening to creep up on his face.

Fury handed him a folder to which Steve opened immediately. I didn't bother to move next to the super soldier, half due to the fact that I was still dumbfounded about Fury's assessment and half due to the fact that I already knew what was in the folder.

"Hydra's secret weapon," Steve announced as he examined the file on the Tesseract, surprise filling his tone of voice.

Fury nodded. "Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think. The Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

"And this was taken from you during the terrorist attack that you're not at liberty to discuss yet?" I clarified, even though I already knew the full truth.

Fury didn't directly answer my question.

"Assessment first," was all he said. "And if all goes well, we'll all be on the Helicarrier by sundown. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're both in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already knew."

"At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me," Steve quipped back.

Fury shrugged his shoulders. "Ten bucks says you're wrong."

I had a feeling that he was never wrong.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?" Fury continued.

"You should have left it in the ocean."

Fury nodded to Steve's response, accepting his very firm answer. "Later today then," he said towards me. "2nd and 53rd."

I nodded back, but I had a sneaky feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy. I had a long day ahead of me.

The next eight hours consisted of me constantly doubting myself. Steve, on the other hand, was ready to punch me into the next millennium.

When four o'clock finally rolled around, the roles had been reversed. I had recalled all of the training that the super soldier had shared with me, I had gone through every movement and technique, and I was sure that I was ready. Steve was not.

We had almost made it to the location that Fury had laid out for us before Steve voiced his opinion aloud.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" he questioned. "After all, once you're an agent, there's no turning back."

I knew what he was getting at. I had considered this aspect as well. Once I was on the books as an official SHIELD agent, I knew that there was no order that I could refuse, no mission that I couldn't accept, I was trapped under Fury's orders. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It created a sense of purpose within me.

So, instead of voicing my actual thoughts from earlier aloud, I decided to get cocky. "Agent Pandora Whitman has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" I smirked.

Steve sighed. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

I hoped I did too.

His doubt, however, was not something I wanted to hear right now. I stopped in my tracks, turning to him with a glare. "Why aren't you happy for me?" I asked. "Your best friends in the entire world founded this company, and I'm about to join it. So, what's the problem?"

I could see the hurt flashing in his eyes, the one that never quite faded away, and I felt bad for bringing Howard and Peggy up for a moment. Only a moment though.

"Maybe that's it," he said, shrugging in response. "Maybe I don't want you to go through what they did. Maybe I don't want you to live an agent's life."

He was trying to protect me, I saw that, but he had no right to dictate my life.

"You can't protect me, Steve," I snapped. "I'm not Peggy, I get that alright!" He stepped back as if I slapped him in the face, but I swept on. "I just want to be worth something."

I didn't wait to see his response as I walked a brisk pace towards the location. I barged down the doors to the warehouse with an angry expression on my face. "Let's get this over with," I announced, stalking my way over to where Fury was standing.

"Have somewhere you'd rather be?" the SHIELD director questioned, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, directing my attention to the display of weapons that Fury was standing next to. My assumption was that I would choose one of these for my assignment, so I grabbed three automatic pistols from the case and tucked them into my usual locations. Belt. Pants. Jacket.

"No," I answered Fury when I was finished, turning back to him with my hands placed firmly on my hips. "I'm angry, and I would like to shoot something."

He made a face as if to say fair enough as I peered at the abandoned warehouse behind him. It was an open area, one with clear walls clearly built in after the warehouse was abandoned. Other than the walls enclosing in the center of the warehouse and the display case of weapons, this place looked like it was about to fall down.

"What is this place anyway?" I asked. At the same time, the doors to the warehouse opened and closed again.

Steve had arrived.

"The headquarters to SHIELD may have been destroyed, but this is one of our many hidden bases complete with a simulator, which will be your task today. But first, I have to ask you something."

"Why do I get the feeling that it's not a question I want to answer?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Were you also with the Council?"

That was most certainly not the question I thought he was going to ask. "What?" I blurted out, my mind trying to process what the Council even was.

Right. Fury's bosses.

"Your friend, Miss Maitland, found herself on the Council and found herself disposed of."

I shook my head with a small grin. Emerald had to have given that excuse to Fury as her backstory. I silently gave her props. She was good at thinking on her feet. Now, it was my turn to back her up.

"I never asked Emerald about her work," I explained slowly. "I lived in California, she lived in New York." I shrugged. "When we did talk, it was two friends catching up. I knew what she did, but I wanted no part in it."

"And now you do?"

I gave Fury the most honest grin I could muster. "This, SHIELD, is different," I admitted, finding that telling the truth with altered details was a lot easier than outright lying. "I want to be worth a damn."

I gave a sideways glance to Steve who wasn't meeting my eyes before turning back to Fury who looked slightly impressed. That had to be a first.

"So, what do I have to do?"

Fury nodded and moved to a hidden panel that I didn't notice before. He pushed a few buttons before a simulation appeared in front of my eyes in the middle of the warehouse. My eyes bugged out at the scene in front of me. This was beyond elaborate.

It looked like a ruined city, sort of what I suspected New York City would look like when Loki was done with that, and I tried to shake off any doubtful thoughts.

Fury tapped another button, pulling up ten guys that looked like military agents, complete with high-tech guns and the black combat gear. "These men are on your team," he explained before hitting another button. Another set of ten guys with the same military personnel appeared in front of me. "These men are terrorists," he continued.

I frowned. "They look exactly the same! How am I supposed to know the difference?"

"That's for you to figure out."

I sighed. This was going to be more complicated than I originally realized.

"Remove all of the terrorist threats," Fury continued. "Do whatever it takes. SHIELD agents know when to make the tough calls."

I gave Fury an exasperated look. "I know what I'm doing, Director."

"Good luck, Miss Whitman," Fury called out to me as he headed out of the clear walls, removing himself from the simulation. I didn't look back at Steve, but I assumed that he was heading to Fury's side to silently judge me from afar.

"It'll be Agent soon enough!" I shouted back before I pulled out my first gun looped through my belt. I didn't hesitate before shooting two terrorists in the chest. Two down, eight to go.

The next three weren't as bad since they gave themselves away by shooting at me. I fired the remaining rounds of my first pistol at them before sliding between one's legs and knocking him to the ground. One kick to the neck and he dissolved in thin air like the rest, terminating his existence. I glanced around for the other two, prepared to do whatever necessary, but they were already gone. Apparently, I underestimated myself.

Gunfire erupted from behind the central building in the middle of the simulation, and I dove behind the nearest rock, covering myself. I grabbed my gun out from in my jacket, discarding the other one easily across the floor. However, as soon as I stood up to start firing back towards the building, a shout came from behind me.

"Watch out!" came the scream of what I assumed was a fellow agent of mine. However, I was still having issues determining which man was a terrorist and which man was an agent. I held my gun to the agent's head, narrowing my eyes.

He immediately dropped his gun and held his hands in the air. "Woah woah woah!" he exclaimed. "I'm on your side. I'm with SHIELD!"

"Oh yeah?" I tested him. "How did Director Fury lose his eye?"

The agent didn't even hesitate. "Every agent knows that," he retorted. "It was during a co-op mission back before he became director."

One bullet and the man was lying dead on the ground.

I shook my head, lowering the gun to my side with a disgusted look on my face. "The correct answer would be: no one knows," I clarified before moving back into the throng of the battle. If Fury chuckled at my testing theory, I didn't have time to check.

By now, agents and terrorists were outright fighting each other, causing me to pause in my tracks for a moment. After a second of hesitation, I jumped right into the middle of the gunfight, targeting to shoot legs and arms in case I accidentally hit a fellow agent instead.

This was a gambling game, one that I was not about to play.

Ten minutes passed in a blur.

The next thing I remember, I was standing in front of the last remaining terrorist with no more fellow agents to assist me. This leader, this last man standing, was on me. "You can't win!" he taunted me, shooting in my direction.

I immediately hit the ground, rolling forward in a somersault to avoid getting a bullet to the chest. I popped up a moment later, pulling out my last remaining gun from the back of my jeans and held it to his level of eyesight.

"Don't you read fairytale stories?" I questioned.

"I beg your pardon?"

I chuckled, a smirk appearing on my face. "Fairytales," I repeated myself. "Villains never get happy endings."

His response, however, was not what I had calculated on.

"Then I'll just take one," he responded, quickly shooting at the scaffolding above me. It fell in an instant, swinging from its chain and knocking me straight to the ground. I hissed in pain as it felt like my back was giving out completely. Wasn't this supposed to be a simulation?

I managed to get to my feet, my gun shaking as my spine felt like it was crumbling in on itself. The terrorist didn't hesitate a moment before shooting me twice, once in the shoulder and then in the forearm. I cried out in agony, clutching the wound.

"You can't win, rookie," he hissed, grabbing a nearby civilian and holding her in front of him. I tilted my head to one side. I should have seen this coming. "In thirty seconds, I will blow up this bomb and kill everyone within a thirty-mile radius unless you shoot me through this civilian."

I squinted towards the terrorist, not even noticing before now that he was holding a detonator.

I got to my feet slowly, trying to ignore the agonizing throbs coming from my gunshot wounds. After picking up my gun once more and managing to point it somewhat in his direction, I shook my head.

"I'm not shooting an innocent."

There was a crackle, and then Fury's voice appeared in the middle of the simulation. I practically jumped out of my skin, forgetting completely that this wasn't real.

"Shoot the civilian," he boomed, and I almost dropped the gun in surprise.

"What?" I demanded, my voice squeaking involuntarily.

"SHIELD agents make tough calls," he continued. "End her life but save thousands more."

I shook my head. I didn't care if this was a simulation or not. I wasn't ready to make that call.

"There has to be another way," I protested. My eyes were already darting every which way, trying to figure out what to do. If there was one thing Steve taught me, it was that there was always a third option. I just had to find it.

"If you want to be an agent-" Fury started to say, but I didn't let him finish. He was breaking my train of thought.

"I am what I already am."

My response wasn't empty handed, however. I managed to lift my hands above my head, despite the pain stinging in my arm, shooting the top of the building multiple times until I ran out of bullets. For a second, nothing happened.

However, I knew how good of a shot I had become. Those daily training sessions with Steve did pay off, whether I liked to admit it or not.

The top of the building cracked under my continuous gunfire before it toppled over, crushing the terrorist, freeing the woman, and ending the simulation. A smug expression crossed my face as I dropped the empty gun to the ground.

"And if there's one thing I learned from Captain America, it's that there's always another solution," I announced, folding my arms across my chest.

Fury appeared first, his gaze surprisingly angry. "You cheated," he snapped, clearly not liking the way I disobeyed orders so easily.

"No," I said. "I beat your simulation without any extra casualties." I bowed mockingly towards the SHIELD director, the smug expression refusing to fade away. "You're welcome."

If Fury wanted to retort with something, Steve didn't give him the chance. He came running around the corner with a highly concerned look on his face, something I have never seen before.

"Pandora!" he exclaimed, his gaze raking me up and down for any sign of injury. "Are you alright?"

"It's a simulation, Steve," I smiled, holding out my arm and shoulder, completely bullet-free. "See? It only hurt at the time."

I wasn't sure if he understood what I was trying to say or not, but before I could say anything else, I was engulfed in the world's largest hug. I laughed slightly and hugged Steve back.

Steve shook his head, an apologetic look crossing his features. I knew that was the best apology I could ask for. "I know I don't have to protect you," he stammered. "But… I want to… because right now, you're the thing that's keeping me going ever since I woke up here. And I haven't felt like that-"

I broke off his pathetic attempts at an apology by kissing his cheek. I acted on impulse as I grinned at the man standing in front of me. He was still hopeless.

"Thank you," I whispered, taking his hands and squeezing them.

Fury coughed to my right, directing my attention back towards him. "If you two are quite finished," he shook his head exasperatedly. He paused, holding out his hand for me to shake to which I immediately obliged, the smile never fading from my face.

"Welcome to SHIELD."


	16. Chapter 16

**EMERALD**

"Good morning, Miss Maitland."

Even though it had been a year since I arrived in this world, I still wasn't used to hearing JARVIS's electronic voice when I wasn't expecting it. I was used to my simple life where if I was alone, I was alone. In Stark Tower, I learned that I was never alone.

I bolted upright in my bed, my heart hammering against my chest. "It is currently quarter past seven," the AI continued, "and the temperature is 54 degrees Fahrenheit." There was a pause as I attempted to catch my breath. "Your vitals are going through some sort of shock. I suggest deep breaths."

"What the hell?" I finally managed to splutter, shaking the sleep from my eyes. "JARVIS, what?"

"My apologies for startling you," he responded smoothly. "But Mr. Stark has requested your presence."

Of course, he had.

I flopped back on my bed, rolling over to my side and pulling a pillow over my head. This was not what I wanted this morning. "Can you tell him that I request my sleep more than being summoned?" I mumbled incoherently, my voice muffled from the pillow placed across my face.

My eyes fluttered closed for a moment, but it was a moment that was cut short. "I'm afraid he's insisting," JARVIS repeated, jolting me out of my sleep once more.

I groaned, rolling over onto my back and running my hands through my tangled blonde hair. I had a feeling that this was going to be a very long day.

"This better be good," I grumbled after a few minutes of just lying there, debating whether to get up or not.

In the end, I knew I would oblige to Tony's wishes, especially since it could be a mission that I wasn't aware of. After all, I was his partner.

"I wouldn't hold your breath, Miss Maitland," JARVIS remarked. "Mr. Stark's summons are never necessary."

I chuckled as I swung my legs over the edge of the king size bed and placed them on the white fleece rug. It took me another minute or two to figure out how to place the weight from my torso to my feet, landing me in a standing position. All the blood rushed to my head, and I shook it frantically, trying to regain my balance.

It took me another twenty minutes to make myself look presentable. By the time I clomped down the stairs, I wondered if Tony had forgotten why he summoned me in the first place.

However, as I emerged from the elevator onto the main floor of the tower, I was surprised to see only Pepper, tapping away on her laptop in the center of the couch. I froze, cocking my head to one side. The red-head didn't even glance up from where she was clearly focused on her work, although I could tell that she was aware of my presence.

"What are you doing here?" were the first words out of her mouth as I continued to stand there, staring at nothing.

I sighed, folding my arms across my chest. "Apparently," I answered just as shortly. "I'm following orders."

"This is Stark Industries business," Pepper felt the need to point out. She paused for a moment, ceasing her clicking across her keyboard as she looked up at me. "Nothing that sidekicks can handle."

I clenched my jaw. I wasn't going to stand for this anymore. Marching my way over to her side, I shut the lid of her laptop, sliding it away from her.

"I really don't know what your problem is with me," I snapped. "I've been nothing but nice to you since the day I arrived here, and you treat me like dirt on the ground. Is it where I'm from or my heritage?" I paused, giving her a puzzled look. When she didn't respond, I continued, "Or maybe you're just jealous that Tony chose me to be his partner and not you?"

Pepper raised an eyebrow coolly, leaning back against the couch. She crossed one leg over the other, creating wrinkles in the white dress she wore. "I don't have a problem with you," she clarified, "but I have a problem with what you brought into Tony's life. We were just starting to settle down and take a break from all of this superhero-"

"Nonsense?" I interrupted. "Is that really what you were going to say?"

"No, that is not what I was going to say. I was going to say that I am worried about what your presence does to Tony."

I broke my gaze, wondering for the first time how much exactly Pepper knew. "If I'm being honest, he has a better head on his shoulders than he did before. I don't want to say that's because of me, but what else has changed in his life other than the fact that you moved out of the house?" I paused. "I just want what's best for him."

I hated this version of Pepper Potts, so manipulative and condescending, and I desperately wanted to know more than anything to know if I caused this.

If Pepper had developed a clever response, she never got the chance to say it.

The elevator door dinged open, and Tony appeared, completely clad in his latest model of the Iron Man suit. He held his helmet in his hands as he caught my gaze, immediately breaking into a wide grin.

"Em!" he declared, his smile getting larger by the minute. "You made it!"

"Am I missing something?" I questioned, my eyes flickering down his suit and back up to his eyes in confusion. "Should I be suiting up?"

Pepper, on the other hand, got to her feet, her heels clacking against the marble floor. "Yes, Tony," she repeated. "Why exactly is she here?"

I heaved a deep sigh, tilting my head to one side in annoyance. It was clear she really hadn't listened to me at all earlier.

"Stark Tower will officially be online in approximately," Tony said, pausing in the middle of his sentence to check his watch. "Twenty minutes."

My heart skipped a beat for a moment. This was something recognizable to me. That both terrified and thrilled me at the exact same time. I thought I was prepared for the invasion that was to come after fighting terrorists with Tony for months, but aliens and human terrorists were two very different things.

Somehow, I managed to find my breath again. "So, does that mean I can actually eat my dinner with the lights on?" I asked, a smirk appearing on my face.

"You can have the lights on all day and night, Em."

I shook my head, unable to shake the smile from my face. Pepper, however, found a way to do just that.

"That still doesn't answer my question," Pepper interjected with an air of annoyance. "This was our project, Tony. She has nothing to do with it."

"She has everything to do with it!" Tony exclaimed. "She's part of the team, Pep!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, retreating back to her station on the couch. "Just be careful," Pepper offered over her shoulder as she continued stabbing the keys with her fingertips. "I know how your suit gets and-"

I yawned, sauntering over to the second couch in the room and lounging across it. I propped my head up with a pillow and kicked my feet across the length of the sofa. "He's gonna be just fine," I pointed out, half of my faith coming from the fact that I knew this part of the movie by heart.

"That's my girl."

Tony's smirk never faded from his face, even as he opened the nearest window remotely and flew straight out.

I had to admit, I wasn't expecting that. Pepper, of course, didn't even flinch.

After relaxing back against the cushions of the couch, I found my eyes drifting closed as my body willed itself back to sleep. "So, uh, what happens now?" I questioned the CEO without opening my eyes.

Unfortunately, Pepper was right. I had no idea how to handle the mechanics behind this building.

"We wait."

Minutes passed before a loud crackle erupted around us. I, nonetheless, kept sleeping and wondered why all of this had to take place so early in the morning.

"Deep sea diving adventures, take one," came the electronic voice of Tony, projecting around the room through JARVIS's speakers.

"Hopefully, there will only be one take," I pointed out.

I could feel Pepper's annoyed gaze on me even with my eyes closed. "These things take-" she tried to interject again.

"Time."

Yeah, I knew the drill by now.

I must have fallen back asleep, for the next thing I remember, I could hear Tony's voice clear as day ringing throughout the room. I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but all I knew was that things were wrapping up.

"Good to go on this end," Tony was saying. "Pep, the rest is up to you."

"You disconnected the transmission lines?"

Before the question was out of Pepper's mouth, the lights in the entire tower shut off completely.

I popped open one eye in amusement. "Uh, I'm pretty sure he did," I remarked sarcastically.

I could vaguely hear a chuckle from Tony's end, while Pepper, per usual, just ignored me, carrying on with her questioning. "Are we off the grid?" she asked again.

"Pretty sure the answer is still yes," I added, slightly under my breath.

If I had listened hard enough, I was pretty sure that I could hear the excited smile that passed across Tony's face. "Stark Tower's about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy," he said.

Splashes of water consumed the speakers, signaling that he was emerging from his underwater journey.

I peeked a glimpse over at Pepper, who was still clicking furiously away on her laptop. "Well, assuming the arc reactor takes over and it actually works," she commented, tilting her head to one side as she worked.

"Let's face it," came Tony's sarcastic response. "I built it, so it works." There was a pause as he heaved a deep sigh. "Light her up."

There was a single click emitting from Pepper's keyboard, and immediately, all the lights in the entire tower flicked back on. I cried out, shielding my eyesight as I was blinded by the number of lights pouring into the room. "Warn a girl!" I protested, groaning as black spots danced around the edges of my pupils.

"How does it look?" Pepper asked Tony, disregarding my complaints.

There was a slight gap in the conversation as Tony flew up to the Tower, taking in its entire beauty of what he and Pepper had created. "Like Christmas," he finally said, "but with more me."

"We've got to go wider on the public awareness campaign," Pepper carried on. "You need to do some press. I'm going to DC tomorrow to work on the zoning for the next three buildings."

"Pepper, you're killing the moment," I snapped, beating Tony to the line before he even had the option to flirt with her.

If anyone wanted to call me out on that, the phone rang before they got the chance.

"I got it!" I declared, darting up from my seat and lunging across the nearest table to answer the phone linked to the tower.

"Agent Coulson of SHIELD is on the line," JARVIS warned.

Of course, the phone was already in my hand.

"Stark Tower, the first ever green, clean energy building," I announced as I answered the phone.

See, I was good at this press stuff. However, I didn't think this one through.

"Miss Maitland," came the stern, very annoyed voice of none other than Phil Coulson.

My breath caught in my throat as I heard his voice, knowing exactly where this was going. SHIELD was already destroyed if he was calling about the Avengers, which meant that Loki was already on this planet and ready to murder hundreds of people. I felt sick to my stomach that I was helpless to just sit back and watch while it happened.

I coughed, shaking myself out of my thoughts. "Agent Coulson," I squeaked. "You- you know who I am?"

"Director Fury tells me quite a lot," he responded coolly. "Is Stark there?"

Tony chose that exact moment to emerge from the elevator, no evidence of the Iron Man suit on his body. "He's not in right now," I responded easily as I had been quoting this movie for years. "He's actually out."

"That's my girl," Tony said again with a grin as he headed over to Pepper's side, plopping next to her on the couch and examining her computer.

"I would prefer if I spoke to him directly," remarked the SHIELD agent.

Of course, I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Sorry Phil!" I shouted into the phone, covering parts of the speaker with my free hand. "I think you're breaking up!"

I pressed the end call button in a hurry, tossing the phone on the couch that I had occupied earlier. I shrugged my shoulders, looking over towards Pepper and Tony. "Maybe I shouldn't answer the phone anymore," I chuckled.

Pepper only rolled her eyes. "Levels are holding steady," she said, pointing to something on her screen. "I think."

"Of course they are," came Tony's easy response. "I was directly involved. Which leads me to my next question. How does it feel to be a genius?"

I made the executive decision to ignore their banter, sauntering over to the table in the far corner that I just spotted. I popped open the bottle of champagne that was sitting in a bucket of ice water and poured myself a glass.

Upon hearing silence from behind me, I turned around and waved it in their direction. "Pick your battles, Potts," I interjected, pretending that I had been listening the whole time.

Tony ambled over to my side, shaking his head and pouring another glass of champagne for himself. "Should I be honored or offended that you're fighting over me?" he commented with a smirk.

"Absolutely not," I immediately objected. "I don't belong to anyone."

"That's why you're my favorite."

I considered that a victory.

I didn't dare look at Pepper, knowing that I would start laughing. I wasn't sure what I was planning on saying next, but JARVIS broke into the room.

"Sir," he remarked. "The telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden."

Tony groaned, picking up his cell phone and seeing Phil appear on his screen. Maybe I shouldn't have cut him off earlier.

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk," barked the SHIELD agent.

Tony was still not in the mood, nor did I assume he would be. "You have reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark," he said in the flattest tone he could manage. "Please leave a message."

"This is urgent."

"Then leave it urgently."

I snickered, but the moment didn't last long.

The elevator door opened with a ding, and Phil himself emerged. "Security breach," announced Tony, but I was barely listening.

"Mr. Stark, Ms. Maitland, Ms. Potts," he announced as he sauntered into the room like he owned the place.

Pepper, however, didn't seem too upset to see him. "Phil!" she cried out, heading to his side and giving him a large hug. "Come in!"

"I can't stay," was his only response, but I could see the tiny smile he gave Pepper.

Tony raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his champagne. "Uh, his name is agent," he stated, which of course only made me laugh. That was probably not helping the situation.

Phil meandered over to our sides, handing a file out towards Tony. "We need you to look this over as soon as possible," he stated blankly. "Both of you."

I took a step back, not fully comprehending the impact I had in this universe until now. It seemed my escapades as Iron Man's partner had not gone unnoticed.

"I don't like being handed things," complaining Tony before turning away and heading deeper into the room.

I made an exasperated face, taking the file from Phil's hands and placing my glass of champagne down on the nearest table. "I'm at least reasonable," I said sympathetically.

"You know," Tony called over his shoulder. "Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday. And Em hasn't signed anything."

"This isn't a consultation."

I glanced at the file in my hands, knowing fully well that I was going to join this quest. "Tony's right," I pointed out. "I'm not an Avenger."

"You signed up when you two became a package deal," Phil added, sending a sideways glance towards Tony. It didn't go unnoticed.

I tilted my head to one side. "What does that mean?" I questioned.

"It means that you two are officially a part of the team, congratulations," Phil said, choosing not to answer my original question.

I could put the pieces together. If SHIELD had called us both in, that meant that we were indeed a package deal. And I had a sneaky feeling that Tony had vouched on my behalf.

"I thought I didn't qualify," Tony said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

Phil paused. "This isn't about personality profiles anymore," was all he said.

Unfortunately, I knew exactly what was going on. SHIELD had been breached, and they were terrified. They needed all of the help that they could get.

I wordlessly moved over to Tony's side, handing over the files. "I thought we were celebrating," he complained, making no move to open the folder.

"This seems serious," I put in. "Phil looks pretty shaken."

Tony threw me a questioning glance as technically I haven't met Phil before. I didn't have time to cover my tracks today.

"Never mind," I spoke in a rush. "What is all of this?"

Tony sighed, opening the files at last. About twenty different holographic files appeared before my eyes. Shock rang clear across my face as I laid eyes on the superheroes that I had been following my entire life. And I was about to become one of them.

"This is… uh this," Tony stammered, looking as surprised as I felt.

The feeling of dread returned to the pit of my stomach. I was completely sure that I was ready to act, but I was completely sure that I wasn't about to just sit around and let hundreds of people die.

However, Pepper noticed the holograms filling the room and glanced over towards us. "I should head down to DC tonight," she remarked. "It looks like the both of you have a lot of homework to do."

She nodded towards the both of us before placing her hand on Phil's back and guiding him out the elevator door. I couldn't hear the conversation that they were holding, mostly due to the fact that my heart was hammering out of my chest.

I still couldn't think properly. "I-I have a phone call to make," I stammered, walking out of the room as quickly as I could.

When I reached my bedroom, I headed inside and immediately locked the door, exhaling loudly. I should have been excited, I should have been thrilled that I was even being considered to be a part of the Avengers, but deep down, I simply wanted to do more than just sit back and watch as the world was destroyed around me.

I pulled my phone out from my back pocket and found the number I was looking for, dialing it instantly. A hologram of Fury himself popped up a moment later. I had to admit, he wasn't looking too good, and he looked as if he was in the middle of a warehouse.

"We need to talk," I barked out.

Fury nodded understandingly. "You're doubting my decision," he guessed.

"I'm doubting what you're asking of me," I clarified. "I'm only here because I know too much." I paused, biting my lip. "I'm not your soldier, and neither is Tony."

Fury shrugged. "I have a feeling that Stark won't join without you," he admitted. "Unfortunately, you're his partner now."

"I'm resigning."

There was a crackle in the feed. "I need you to repeat that because I know I didn't hear you correctly," he snapped.

"I'm done being your spy," I retorted. "You didn't give me a choice, so I played along. Now, I've given you more than enough to solidify Tony's position on this team. I'm done, Nick."

Another moment of silence passed, and I wondered if I had overstepped and ruined things yet again. Then, Fury sighed. "You've been a valuable asset," he commented. "I look forward to having you a part of the Avengers Initiative."

Flattery was not going to help Fury today. This conversation was going in circles. I needed him to understand what I was prepared to do.

"You don't understand," I pleaded. "I… I… I can stop this war before it begins."

"War is already here."

I shut my eyes, feeling the hopelessness sink back into my system, as Fury ended the call. There was no way out from this ride.

I stood there in the center of my bedroom for several minutes, trying to figure out some way to make this situation better. I kept coming up short.

I slowly walked over to where I had thrown my phone across the room and picked it up, shaking my head. There was nothing I could possibly do except wait, wait for the despair, wait for Loki to destroy the world, wait for my being here to screw things up further, wait for death.

Unless, it could be prevented.

My eyes lit up with the simple thought, and I quickly punched a few key phrases into my phone until I found what I was looking for. A shadow of a smile appeared across my face for the first time in several hours, applauding myself for my knowledge of the Marvel universe, before I headed back downstairs, grabbing my coat and boots from the chair next to my bed. I wasn't going to sit around anymore.

I headed back down to the main floor of the Tower, emerging only for a moment.

"Hey Tony!" I called out, jolting him out from his thoughts on the files Phil had given him. "I'm going out for a bit."

He frowned. "We have work to do," he pointed out.

"You have work to do," I corrected. "I'm no help when it comes to these things. If you need me, I'm a phone call away. I just need air."

"Where?"

I was not up for interrogation tonight. "Don't worry," I changed the subject, not answering his question. "All my stuff is on lockdown."

"I don't want you wandering around by yourself," he said slowly, trying to figure out some way to make me stay in the tower. He was grasping at straws, though, and we both knew it.

"Stop worrying about me," I said exasperatedly. "I can take care of myself. You know that. Besides, I know exactly where I'm going."

He sighed, finally coming to terms with the fact that he couldn't force me to do anything. "Be home before dark," was all he said. I glanced outside, making a face as I realized that the sun was already beginning its descent down the sky.

"Okay Mom," I uttered, rolling my eyes again.

He protested, "I'm only trying to keep you safe!"

"You're not a superhero all the time, you know," I pointed out. "Sometimes you have to let other people fend for themselves."

I shook my head and turned to head back in the elevator, not waiting for a response. I didn't want to hear anything more he had to say. He wasn't going to change my mind.

When I finally emerged out of the tower, breathing in the fresh air, I checked my phone once more, repeating the address over and over again. I was finally going to do something about the situation before it even began.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: We Could Be The Heroes - Young Summer

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	17. Chapter 17

**VALENCIA**

I wasn't quite sure how long we had been walking. We had ditched the SHIELD vehicles a while back, knowing that they most likely had trackers embedded on them. Even if by some miraculous coincidence that they didn't, they were a dead giveaway to where we were. They were a giant flashing light screaming terrorists. We couldn't afford that.

We couldn't afford any mistakes.

I stayed clear of the crowd in front of me, trailing behind the group in a desperate attempt to regain my thoughts. I had to keep pinching the skin on my forearm to remind myself that this wasn't a dream.

I was the only one here who came with Loki by choice, and I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about that. At least, not yet.

I let my arm fall back down to my side, trying to ignore the constant aching in the balls of my feet. My eyes stared unseeingly in front of me, forming and reforming the hardened shell that had developed around me.

"Sir!"

I was jolted out of my thoughts when Clint called out to Loki, who was leading the group forward on the abandoned highway. Loki held up a hand to signal for the group to stop walking, and everyone ceased their steps immediately. I had to halt immediately in my tracks to keep myself from plowing into the person in front of me.

"How much farther until we reach our location?" questioned Clint from where he was standing in the middle of the group, his hand still twitching towards his gun.

Loki only glanced over his shoulder before lowering his hand to commence walking once more. "It will not be far," he reassured, a smirk crossing his face. "Do not fret."

"Not a concern," Clint replied, nodding in acceptance. "Curiosity."

I smiled at the SHIELD agent, admiring the way he seemed to automatically take charge of the group. From the middle, he was able to direct the crowd to Loki's wishes, something that the god valued. As for me, I was still the loner.

"It killed the cat, you know," I called out to Clint, tilting my head to one side.

He paused, letting others move past him until he was standing directly in front of me. He raised an eyebrow in my direction, and I kept my eyes trained on his hand, making sure that he had no plans to pull out his gun and shoot me like he had with Fury.

"And cats kill birds," he remarked with a slight smirk on his face. I immediately sighed with relief, half hoping that it was a sign of peace and not that he was about to kill me. "In my opinion, the less cats there are, the better."

A laugh broke out across my lips, shaking my head. At least Loki allowed for him to keep his sense of humor. "Did you have a bad experience with one?" I teased, raising my eyebrow as we kept walking side by side.

"They never liked me, I never liked them," he shrugged. "It was more of a mutual hatred relationship."

"Kind of like your relationship with Natasha?"

He froze in his tracks as I blurted out the question. Maybe I was moving things a bit too quickly, but I had a plan in motion.

"I thought you were just a scientist," he retorted when he recovered from his shock. He started his stroll once more, leaving me to all but sprint after him so I wouldn't be left in the dust.

I steadied my breathing as I slowed my pace once I reached his side. "I thought you were just an agent," I said. "You're not the only one with secrets."

Silence lapsed between us as he refused to respond. Perhaps I ruined the friendship that could have been possibly blooming between us, but that wouldn't be the first time that occurred.

I lowered my voice, exhaling slowly as he didn't move away from my side, before speaking up once again. "Why didn't you take the kill shot?" I asked softly.

"What."

He didn't stop in his tracks this time, but I could see the way his fists were clenching. I was testing the waters greatly tonight. I knew my theory had to be right, however. I knew that Clint was still in there somewhere.

"I know you better than you think, Barton," I snapped, keeping my voice down so no one else heard us. "You never miss. Not once." I paused, biting my lip and daring to glance up into his line of sight. "So, I'm going to ask you again, why didn't you take the kill shot?" 

There was a long pause, and for several seconds, I was afraid that Clint was going to reveal my discovery to someone else, specifically Loki.

"It wasn't necessary."

I took a double take as I realized that he had actually answered my question honestly. Upon opening my mouth to ask another ill-timed question, he immediately cut me off.

"Maybe I should have killed you when I had the chance."

I gritted my teeth together, mashing them against my gums in frustration. I had overstepped my boundaries, I knew that, but that didn't mean I was going to stop.

I never got the chance.

"Agent Barton!" came the cry from the front of the crowd.

I winced at the sound of Loki's voice, praying that he hadn't heard our conversation. I couldn't put myself in danger again, not when I was surrounded by trained assassins. I was strong, but I wasn't immortal, no matter how long I had trained on Asgard.

Loki gestured for his so-called army to continue ahead of him, most definitely giving instructions via mind control on their whereabouts. I had no interest to know.

"Are you pestering Miss Flint?" he questioned Clint with a tiny smile on his face. I immediately breathed out a sigh of relief.

I shook my head, stepping towards Loki as he reached our side. "No, no," I said, jumping in the conversation before Clint could say a word. "He's fine."

Loki nodded in approval, signaling for Clint to continue moving. I bobbed my head, mimicking his motions, and tried to move past the god. But Loki held out his hand, blocking my exit. My heart instantly leapt its way back into my throat.

"Are you going to ask if I was pestering him?" I tried to joke.

Another smile crossed Loki's face, a sight that made me reel in wonderment. "You, my dear, could never be a bother," he purred. I should have relaxed at his words, but my heart only hammered harder.

He strode at my side elegantly, keeping his head up and only calling out to his army once or twice to correct their paths. I didn't say a word, and he didn't disturb me either. I appreciated the silence that he was giving me, but I had to admit that standing next to the very man whom I had almost worshipped my entire life was a little more than nerve-wracking.

When we reached the warehouse, I immediately recognized it from the movie that I had seen several times. I stared it for a few minutes apprehensively as the rest of the former agents piled into the building. It took me several more seconds to realize that Loki wasn't following his group inside. He was still standing at my side.

Even when everyone had disappeared, it was still just the two of us standing there. I, surprisingly, didn't mind.

"Why did you choose me?" I asked softly, half hoping that he didn't hear me.

His response came quicker than Clint's had. "I didn't."

I glanced over at him, trying not to stare too long at his clearly defined jawbones. _Get your shit together, Valencia._

"You could have killed me like you did to those other scientists," I pointed out.

"I have a feeling that you are not exactly a scientist."

I almost laughed. Was I really that horrible at lying? "You tried to mind control me," I remarked.

"I did not understand what I know now."

My eyes widened as my eyebrows skyrocketed to the top of my head. Loki really did manage to have an answer to everything. He wasn't getting around my questions that effortlessly, no matter how excellent of a liar he was.

"Bullshit."

He finally glanced down in my direction with astonishment shining across his features. A shadow of a smile was starting to cross his face as he took in my boldness, but I was starting to get pissed at the Asgardian. He didn't rule everything, not yet.

"Bullshit," I repeated. "Your little weapon didn't work on me, and you got interested."

For the first time since I met Loki, I had never seen him speechless until this very moment. I continued to glare daggers towards him until he exhaled for a long moment. "I was interested in you from the moment that I laid eyes on you," he said at last. "I only wanted to make sure that you would accompany me in my quest."

He was covering his tracks, and I knew it. His charms didn't work on me.

"To destroy humanity?" I questioned as I gave him a skeptical look.

He tilted his head to one side, and I tried to ignore the fact that he said he wanted me in this crusade. I figured it was a lie but hearing the words from his own lips didn't help the fact that my heart was still beating out of my chest.

"You are from Asgard, yes?" he sighed. "Is that not what all Asgardians truly desire?"

My reply came easier than the last time I was asked this question.

"You're not quite right," I began. "I'm a Midgardian truly. I was brought to Asgard unknowingly when the Bifrost was destroyed." I paused, glancing up from where my eyes had fallen to the ground. "I... I saw you fall from the bridge."

Loki hesitated, his eyes flickering over to mine in curiosity. "That was you," he breathed out slowly, recognition dawning on his face.

"I have to ask you something."

I took the silence as a cue to continue.

"I… I dreamt about you," I said slowly. "The night before I was sent back. I felt like I was there, next to you, on this planet, and I…" I trailed off for a moment. "Did you know who I was then?"

"No."

The answer came slower than I anticipated, and for a second, I assumed he was lying. However, when I dared to glance up in his sparkling green eyes, I knew he wasn't. He seemed as curious about me as I was about him. This was embarking on dangerous territory.

"Heimdall saw my dream," I continued. "Odin sent me here to bring you back to Asgard in exchange for my freedom. Only, I realized that I never want to go back to the person that I used to be."

Loki gave me a shocked glance. "And who was the person that you used to be?"

"Someone gone."

I took a deep breath as he allowed me to continue my train of thought. I was going to fight, not for this god standing before me, but for myself. And if he helped me along, then I wasn't going to stop him.

"I'm stronger now," I carried on. "I know my place in this world, and if I'm meant to be on the sidelines alone, then so be it."

If my words sounded bitter, they were.

"We sound very much the same, you and I," Loki observed, staring at me curiously.

I pursed my lips together before popping them back out a moment later. "I'm not weak anymore," I replied. "I won't be another pawn in your game." I locked eye contact with him, testing my newfound confidence in myself. I wanted to see the truth in his eyes. "If you want me by your side, earn me."

"I believe I already have," Loki said arrogantly with that charming smirk still plastered across his face. "You are the only one who is here by choice. I believe I am the one who should be asking you why."

I tried to contain all of the emotions bouncing around inside of my body. "I wanted a chance to start over, to explore this new person who I am," I said slowly.

"And who is that?"

I looked him dead in the eyes as I spoke in the calmest tone I could imagine.

"A Queen."


	18. Chapter 18

**PANDORA**

Nothing about this moment seemed real.

I was sitting next to the actual Captain America on an actual Quinjet being flown by the actual Director Nick Fury to the actual Helicarrier as an actual SHIELD agent.

None of this seemed real. And yet, here I was.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" questioned Steve quietly from beside me. I resisted a groan at his inquiry, hoping it wasn't going to be like my field test all over again.

"Steve," I said, placing my hand on top of his reassuringly. "I passed the test. I'm a SHIELD agent now. This is our duty to help, mostly because you're the patriotic hero of the country but I'm actually forced to be here."

I smirked as I sensed Fury's annoyance at our conversation. This was going to be a lot more fun than I anticipated. He was definitely going to be sick of me.

"You two!" came Fury's voice from the pilot seat. I rolled my eyes, wondering how he was licensed to fly this Quinjet if he was half blind. "Quit your flirting. We're here."

I made another face behind his back, which only made Steve chuckle louder. That wasn't helping our situation. I simply enjoyed the freedom – no pun intended – that I was able to express when I was around him. He allowed me the chance to be exactly who I was.

"I-" I tried to protest against his words as I stood up, but the sight before me took my breath away. "Oh my god," I breathed out as I laid my eyes on the large structure beneath us.

I held onto the top of the railing of the Quinjet and just stared, my mouth falling open. I had seen the Helicarrier many times, but not like this.

Steve, by now, had gotten to his feet as well, wondering what my shock had been over. He wandered to my side, cocking his head as he stared at the ocean below us. I gave him a sideways glance. I knew his last experience with planes and water didn't end so well, but to my delight, he seemed to be concealing his feelings, at least for now.

"Is that a… submarine?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged my shoulders. "You're not completely off."

Steve gave me an inquisitive look as I spoke. I caught myself, realizing that I almost revealed too much yet again. I had to watch my mouth.

"What-"

"Don't tell me that you're going to get curious and friendly now that we're out in the open," I teased.

He only rolled my eyes, graciously accepting this change of subject. "I'm from the forties, not the sixties. I'm never people friendly," he commented.

"We'll see about that one," I responded as the wheels of the Quinjet touched down on the Helicarrier, signaling our arrival.

When Fury turned around to see us hovering around his chair, I thought he was going to murder us right then and there.

The progress that I had made with Steve since the first day that I met him was actually remarkable. To be perfectly honest, I had never thought that he wanted to talk to me, and now, we couldn't shut up to each other.

However, if I wanted to revel in the moment any longer, I wasn't given the chance. I shielded my eyes from the sun as a figure approached. I didn't recognize her until she was standing right in front of me, and then I had to practically hold my jaw in place.

Agent Natasha Romanoff was standing in front of me.

"Agent Romanoff!" Fury called out to her as he ambled his way off the Quinjet. "Find these imbeciles a place to stay inside." He shot a glare towards us as he passed us to stand at Natasha's side.

Steve, being the gentleman that he was, only nodded towards Natasha. "Ma'am."

"Hi," she said, barely flinching before turning her attention towards Fury. "They need you on the bridge. Hill's starting the face trace."

"Coulson?" Fury questioned.

A tiny grin appeared across Natasha's face. "Trying his hardest to keep everyone under control."

"I better get down there fast," Fury commented, shaking his head. He paused in the midst of strolling away from us. "And don't let him get alone with Rogers," he added before he disappeared amongst the agents.

"Roger that," Natasha chuckled. She turned to Steve and me with a shake of her head. "You know, it was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. Thought Coulson was gonna swoon."

I grinned up at the red-haired assassin, unable to keep the images of Phil and Steve out of my head. Perhaps it was best that Steve had refused to meet him when he showed up constantly at our apartment. "Is that why you're keeping them separate?" I had to ask.

"Possibly," Natasha chortled. "And who are you?"

"Agent Pandora Whitman."

Natasha nodded. "Ah, the new recuit," she said understandingly. "Fury gave me your assessment. I was impressed."

I wanted to pinch myself. Natasha Romanoff said that she was impressed with my training.

Trying my hardest to contain the wide grin that threatened to spread across my face, I glanced up at Steve. "Yeah well, I had a good teacher."

Natasha raised an eyebrow towards us. "Are you two-"

Apparently, neither Steve nor I wanted to answer that question, the same one that had been asked multiple times since we met. Steve's gaze shifted past ours and lifted his hand in a form of greeting.

"Doctor Banner!" he called out, causing my heart to falter for a second.

The amount of characters I was becoming familiar with in a single day was getting overwhelming. There was definitely no turning back now.

Bruce Banner was fiddling with his jacket as he ambled his way into our little crowd that we had formed. "Oh yeah," he stammered. "Hi. They told me you'd be coming. Rogers, right?"

"Indeed I am." He nodded back towards the scientist, shaking his hand softly. "Word is you can find the Cube."

I, meanwhile, was standing next to Natasha, still trying to process that I was sandwiched between three Avengers.

Bruce questioned, "Is that the only word on me?" and I felt bad for the guy. He had lived his entire life in fear of what everyone thought about him, always inquiring how much they truly cared about the beast or the scientist.

"Only word I care about," Steve said with a smile, knowing exactly where Bruce was going with his question.

Bruce only nodded to Natasha, signaling their earlier meeting that, honestly, I had almost forgotten about. "And who's your… other friend?"

He tilted his head towards me, and it took me a minute to realize that he was waiting for a response from myself.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, holding out my hand which he accepted graciously. "Agent Pandora Whitman."

"Seems there's a bunch of you around here," he commented, earning a chuckle from the rest of us. However, he stayed completely neutral as if he was only capable of one tone of voice. I liked him already.

Natasha cleared her throat. "You imbeciles, as Fury so graciously titled you, might wanna step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breathe," she said before she sauntered away with a smirk, unable to stand the awkwardness anymore.

I heard the sirens erupting around me, biting my lip anxiously. I knew what was happening, and I, for one, couldn't wait for a glimpse at the inside of the Helicarrier. Steve and Bruce, however, weren't the best listeners. They wandered to the edge of the Helicarrier, peering down at the engines emerging from underneath the water.

"Is this really a submarine?" Steve asked out loud, repeating his earlier question.

"Really," Bruce chuckled. "They want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?"

I strolled up behind the two lost boys, clapping my hands on both of their shoulders. Bruce jumped a foot in the air, and I winced at my stupidity. He hated surprises. "Nah," I finally voiced, grinning like a mad woman. "This is much worse."

Walking down the steps and emerging into the heart of the Helicarrier was the most eye-opening experience I had undergone since arriving in this universe. My mouth all but fell open as I laid eyes on every piece of technology and every SHIELD agent buried in their work, scenes that I had witnessed many times. Only, in the previous times, there was a screen between us.

Fury had already assumed his position at the command of the Helicarrier, his hands gripping the sides of his panels surrounding him as the invisible shields switched into motion around us.

"Gentlemen," Fury said, nodding to us as we arrived through the main doors, turning around on the spot. I coughed noticeably, sending the director a pointed glance. "And lady," he added, rolling his eyes.

Steve sauntered over to Fury's side, shaking his head as he took in the whole of the Helicarrier, pulling out a ten-dollar bill and slipping it in the director's hand. He clenched it into a fist, tucking it into his side pocket with a chuckle.

Bruce hadn't moved from his position in the center of the room, and I could tell that he was trying to make sense of everything. To be honest, so was I.

"Doctor, thank you for coming," Fury said, extending his hand in some sign of friendship that I wasn't sure he was capable of having.

"Thanks for asking nicely," Bruce said, taking his hand slowly. I chuckled at the sarcasm, even if no one else picked up on it. "So, um, how long am I staying?"

Fury nodded, taking a step backwards to his post once more. "Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind," he explained.

"Where are you with that?" questioned Bruce, wringing his hands together.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet." The voice came from behind us, causing me to spin around on the spot. However, Phil only appeared beside us with a smile. "Cell phones, laptops… If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

The grin that was plastered across my face only grew wider. "Phil!" I exclaimed, excitement shining in my voice. Nevertheless, the senior SHIELD agent only had eyes for one person in the room.

"Agent Whitman, I believe it is now," he added, heading to my side and shaking my hand once more. I smiled as he focused on Steve, babbling, "I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you officially. I sort of met you, I mean I watched you while you were sleeping. I mean, I was - I was present while you were unconscious from the ice." Phil stopped himself, clearing his throat. "You know it's really - it's just a huge honor to have you onboard, it's-"

"And this is why we have to keep them separated," Natasha whispered in my ear, causing me to giggle uncontrollably.

Steve feigned politeness and only shook his hand. "Well, I hope I'm the man for the job," he responded.

"Gentlemen," Fury scolded, not even having to look at the group to realize that we really were a bunch of imbeciles. "Focus."

I opened my mouth to respond, but another person approached our growing party. Maria Hill jumped up the steps to reach Fury's side, leaning against the side railing.

"The system still won't find them in time," she commented, folding her arms across her chest, before she directed her attention towards us. "I'm Maria Hill," she said with her non-existent grin. "Associate director of SHIELD."

"Steve Rogers."

"Bruce Banner."

"Agent Pandora Whitman."

Steve turned towards me, shaking his head with a chuckle under his breath. "You just have to put the agent in there, don't you?" he questioned.

"Like I said," I said, beaming right back at him. "It has a nice ring to it."

Maria shot me a tiny smile. "Don't worry, I know who you all are."

"Might I suggest narrowing your field?" Bruce spoke up once again, and all of our eyes shifted towards him. "How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

Fury tilted his head to one side. I only wished Val was here to understand the technical language that Bruce was spitting out. I felt a twinge of guilt for not searching her sooner. She had to be around here somewhere. I wasn't sure how much I could take without them.

"How many are there?" Fury questioned, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places." He nodded as we all continued to stare at him before the agents moved to complete his requests. "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Fury shook his head, gesturing with his hands for the agents to return to their work, fulfilling the duties that Bruce had laid out for them. "Agent Romanoff," he said, signaling for the red-haired agent for the next task. "Would you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory please?"

Natasha nodded in response, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder and guiding him out the door of the main section of the Helicarrier. "You're gonna love it Doc," she announced as they disappeared from view. "We got all the toys."

Suppressing a yawn, I turned back to Fury with a sly grin. "As for us, do you have a room or something?" My eyes widened before I clarified, "Two rooms actually."

"I'll show you the way!" Phil immediately piped up, his eyes lighting up with the aspect of being alone with Captain America at last.

Maria, however, caught the disaster before it happened. A true smile passed across her lips, the first one that I had ever seen, movies and all. "No worries Phil, I got it," she mouthed to the agent before winking at me. "Two guest rooms, coming right up."

I was looking forward a good night's rest, despite the fact that I was jumping out of my skin from being on the Helicarrier itself. Why would I ever think that was going to happen?

It was around four o'clock in the morning when the sirens started going off.

"What the hell," I groaned, sitting upright in my bed, holding a hand to my forehead.

The sirens continued to blare, and I stared bleakly at the wall in front of me, unable to process what was going on.

The only thing I was certain of at this moment was that this did not occur in the movies.

I combed my hair with my fingers quickly before pulling on a pair of leggings and swinging open the door to my room. I left it open as I banged on the door next door. "Steve!" I shouted in an attempt to wake the super soldier from his slumber.

I groaned as I heard no movement from inside the room, but as it turned out, I wasn't the only one awake.

Maria appeared at the end of the hallway, full clad in her uniform, and sauntered over to my side. "Sorry to wake you like this on your first night here," she apologized. I just wanted to know how she got dressed so quickly. "It seems we have a security breach."

"What?"

The door to Steve's room swung open after a moment, and the super soldier appeared, sans shirt naturally. "What's going on?" he questioned, still half asleep.

I noticed the flush that appeared on Maria's cheek as she tried her hardest to keep her gaze on his eyes. "Someone hacked into SHIELD," she said slowly, still trying to comprehend herself. "We've been compromised."


	19. Chapter 19

**EMERALD**

Finding the warehouse was the least of my concerns.

After sneaking into Pandora and Steve's apartment, I wasn't too concerned about my methods. I knew what I was doing. My confidence level was high.

The part that I was concerned about was what I was planning on doing once I arrived here. I had only gotten to step one.

I stood there, pressed against the wall, my black outfit blending in with the shadows. I hadn't really thought my plan through, other than the fact that Tony was definitely pissed that I had left him.

Voices emerged from further down the hallway, and I immediately ducked around the corner. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to process what I had planned on doing. I was here in the same building that Loki and his so-called army were currently residing in. I was here to stop the war from happening, to stop hundreds of people from dying.

For the first time, I considered that the reason I was sent to this universe wasn't a mistake. Maybe I was here to save lives before they even had to be saved.

I didn't have any more time to think.

A cluster of people tromped past my hiding spot, and I tried my hardest to hold my breath. In the middle of the crowd, there was a blonde woman, trying to shake the several hands off of her arms. I assumed this was a bunch of mind-controlled SHIELD agents, and for a split second, I debated stepping out and taking care of them. I had suffered far worse odds when I was overseas with Tony.

I pulled up my black hood, preparing myself to engage in a fight, but the blonde woman shoved them away from her all at once.

"I'm not a prisoner!" she exclaimed.

My blood froze involuntarily in my system as her voice floated in my eardrums. I knew that voice. It wasn't one that was supposed to belong in this universe.

I missed what the agents had snapped back at her, but another moment later, she had turned around, practically slaying all of the agents with the glare in her eyes. It didn't even look like her.

It had to be some mistake.

Yet, no matter how many times I blinked, I knew it was some hardened version of my former best friend standing in front of me. Valencia had been here the whole time, and she had been taken captive somehow.

I had missed more of their conversation, but it didn't matter. I breathed out a long sigh, ready to defend her and bring her home. I never got that far.

"Loki told you who I am," she snapped. "Did he not?" There was a short pause in which she didn't let them answer. It was like they were zombies. "I am to be treated with respect, as your Queen."

My heart leapt its way back into my throat, and my palms immediately grew sweaty. "No," I whispered under my breath, refusing to believe it. My ears had to be playing tricks on me.

However, I knew in the bottom of my heart that it was true. Valencia was working for him.

She was betraying us.

A part of me wasn't surprised. Since we started learning about the Marvel universe, she always found a special attachment to Loki, even more so when Tom Hiddleston assumed the role. The part that stung the most wasn't that.

It was the fact that she didn't even look for us. She didn't even try to find me.

I barely noticed when the brain-washed guards ushered Valencia away. I couldn't erase her face from my brain. It was the body of my best friend, but she wasn't all there.

I knew the difference.

Stepping out in the hallway, my throat closed in on itself as I tried not to break down. "Val," I breathed out, half hoping that she would hear me.

I just wanted to reach out and touch her, ask her why she was pulling away from her friends, tell her to come home. I couldn't.

There was a silence that settled throughout the air as I stared at the open hallway, staring at the invisible shadow that Valencia had left behind. I barely comprehended that someone had appeared behind me, let alone that it was the very person I was looking for.

"If you are looking for validity, you are in the wrong place."

The cool voice settled over my shoulders, sending a chill through my spine. I took a deep breath to calm my beating heart, silently cursing myself for becoming so distracted. I had a mission to complete.

"Actually," I responded, finally turning around. "I think I'm exactly where I need to be."

Loki stood there, staring back at me with those piercing green eyes, and I fought the urge to look away. He was the reason I was here. I only had one shot at this.

"You seem to know a lot about me," he commented slyly, "but I have not the pleasure of putting a face to the voice just yet."

I didn't respond.

My brain couldn't fathom that the god of mischief was right in front of me. For a split second, I sympathized with how Valencia had fallen under his spell. However, the second passed.

I lowered my hood, exposing my identity to him.

"Ah," he said with his usual smirk. "The metal man's whore. Agent Barton has told me all about you and Stark. Your profiles are quite nice, I must admit."

I raised my hand to slap him, but he immediately grabbed my wrist before it could make contact with his face. The words that I wanted to say just faded on my tongue as I glared at him deeper, knowing that he was trying to get under my skin.

"I would not do that if I were you," he said nonchalantly, crushing my wrist with his hand. I let out a small strangled cry as he did so before he released his grasp, sending it spiraling back towards my side. "So," Loki continued. "Have you come here to surrender on behalf of SHIELD?"

I shrugged, trying to play off control. "Maybe," I hummed. "Not quite."

"Or perhaps you would like to join my army?"

I laughed, rolling my eyes. I had fantasized about that more than I cared to admit, but it was all fun and games when Loki wasn't actually real and standing right in front of me. I wasn't going to make the same mistake that Valencia did.

"I don't think so," I responded coolly. "However, I do have a proposition for you."

"I do not think that is something that I want to accept, especially from mortals."

That was the moment I was waiting for.

"And what about Valencia?" I said, testing the waters to see how he was going to react. Loki fell silent, and I gave an internal cheer, knowing that I had hit a sore spot. "I wonder how she convinced you that she was on your side."

Loki gave me a piercing stare, trying to read how I knew so much about what was happening.

"Do you even know who she is?" I pressed. "I do. She didn't mention me at all, did she?" More silence lapsed over Loki. "Well, if you want to know about what she is capable of, I'm the person to ask. She's the kind of person who uses you, who craves power more than anything. Come to think of it, she's just like you."

Loki let out a growl, forcing me to stand my ground. As he got uncomfortably close to my face, I tried not to think about his breath blowing cool air on my cheeks.

"I know you better than you think," I continued, "and I can help you. I can help you get what you really want. I can help you stop all of this madness and get back to what you truly desire. I can help you find a better way to rule."

There was a pregnant pause in the air as he considered my words, never once dropping our staring contest. Then, he finally spoke.

"And if I were to agree?"

Shock flooded my system. There was no way it could have been that easy. There was no way that I just convinced the god of mischief to abandon his quest for Earth in return for a hopeful promise.

But no matter how much my mind doubted me, I could see the genuine smile appearing on the god's lips. Maybe he had a thing for humans, after all.

"Let me take care of the others," I said, tilting my head to one side. "I'm very persuasive, just like you." It pained me to say the words that he wanted to hear, but I knew that I was so close to saving the world. I couldn't back down now. "They will listen to me. I know how to capture their attention."

Loki never moved away from me as I spoke, his green eyes sparkling. "How do I know that I can trust you?" he asked.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" I retorted.

He raised an eyebrow, enjoying the banter between us. "You are persistent," he said after a moment's pause. "I enjoyed capturing your attention, too."

I didn't catch his meaning until it was too late.

It didn't take much for him to close the distance between us and plant his lips directly on mine. For the first time, I felt completely out of control, and it was something that I didn't hate. I felt like I was living the life of someone else entirely. That was the only reason my body reacted the way that it did, or so I told myself.

That was the last thing I remembered.

When I woke up on a cold hard floor, surrounded by an empty warehouse, dread flooded my system. Sunshine broke through the cracks in the walls of the building, causing me to blink uncontrollably. My head pounded with what seemed like a typical hangover, but I knew better.

I knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

I walked briskly throughout the warehouse, my heart pounding in my chest the longer I wandered around. I wasn't sure how long I had been out for, but I knew it wasn't good. None of this was good.

It wasn't until I had finally found the heart of the warehouse, one that had been bustling with activity just a few hours ago, that I knew what had happened. There was no sign that anyone had ever been here.

Which only meant one thing. I had been played.

When I made it back to Stark Tower, I managed to get up to my bedroom, fully planning on collapsing on my bed and trying to figure out how much damage I could have done. I opened the door, barely breathing, before I spun around, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

"Where the hell were you?"

I jumped, my heart leaping back into my throat. "Jesus, Tony!" I swore, dropping my phone on the ground and holding a hand over my heart. "You need to stop doing that!"

He flicked on a light from where he was sitting in the chair next to my bed, giving me a look that clearly said that he was unimpressed with my actions.

Well, that made two of us.

"It's six in the morning," he commented, folding his arms across his chest. "You never came home last night. Where were you?"

"I was out," I snapped. "Does it matter?" I glanced him up and down, trying to match the glare he was giving me. "Why are you in my room anyway?"

Tony paused, narrowing his eyes deeper until they were almost slits. He was trying to see through me, but that only caused me to strengthen the shield around me. I had to build up the broken pieces.

"Suit up," he finally said, getting to his feet. "We've got work to do."

I frowned. "What happened?"

"Someone broke into SHIELD last night."

"Oh my god," I voiced aloud, shaking my head. "Who?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders in response. It seemed like that was the question everyone was asking.

"It was from a Stark phone," he said slowly. "Whoever it was stole a bunch of SHIELD's personal files." He paused, letting his comment ring in the air before he swung open my door, heading out of the room. "Fury wants us on the Helicarrier in an hour."

As he slammed the door shut behind him, a renewed sense of dread crept back under my skin. I hadn't missed the action. I had caused the action.

All I wanted to do was save the world, and I had fallen right into Loki's trap. He had said exactly what I wanted to hear, and then, he took care of the problem using his magic.

The problem being me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, the horror completely shutting me down.

"Shit."


	20. Chapter 20

**VALENCIA**

"As your Queen-"

I immediately broke off, shaking my head. That wasn't any way to start a conversation, even with the King himself.

"I strongly believe that we should try another route in this quest of ours… of yours… dammit."

Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't an idiot.

It was true that my experiences on Asgard had hardened me, and it was true that Loki had brought up thoughts that I hadn't considered in a long time. However, it wasn't true that I was ready to watch hundreds of people parish because of me.

I only had one shot while my mind was still convinced. I had one chance to convince Loki that bringing the alien army to New York was a bad idea.

I realized that these reoccurring thoughts contradicted my previous statements that I had made to him, but I still had some sense left in me, even if my emotions were washed away by the hard shell I had developed on Asgard. I needed to have some sort of plan.

"Being a Queen, even for such a short amount of time…" I tried again, but I cut myself off once more. "No… It has made me realize… come to terms with death, and I don't want to cause any more than necessary." I shook my head, fully talking to myself now, reflecting my days on Asgard. "He would say that it's necessary. God dammit Val, stop being a lost cause."

I groaned outwardly, spinning around just in time to see the door swing open. Holding back a gasp, I held a hand over my heart, all previous thoughts immediately flying out of my head at the sight of the King himself. I tried to put a pleasant look on my face, although it wasn't too hard to fake it.

"I trust you settled in alright?" Loki questioned as he sauntered further into the room.

I heaved a sigh, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Running my hands through my hair was about the only action that I could busy myself with while staring into his piercing green eyes.

"You don't have to pretend like you care about me," I immediately retorted, shaking my head. "Besides," I added, gesturing around the room in a sweeping gesture, "it's very comfortable around here."

Loki gave me a little smirk at the clear sarcasm. The room was a dump, a pit of ruin and despair, but to his credit, it was probably the best room in the place. "I only try my hardest," he answered, shutting the door behind him as he headed farther into the room.

"Loki," I said softly. "I knew what I signed up for when I came with you."

"Did you?"

I avoided the question, not exactly sure what my answer would be. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure what crossed my mind when I agreed to continue this battle at Loki's side. But the one thing that I knew for certain was that since then, everything had gotten slightly better. I felt welcomed. I felt stronger. I felt like myself, for the first time in many years.

"Well," I uttered, forcing a smile on my face. "I would appreciate if your army could be more considerate towards me."

"I shall speak to them at once," Loki responded instantly, to which I frowned.

I got to my feet, biting my lip. I paced back and forth against the edge of the bed, keeping one eye on Loki. He wasn't himself today, and I had a sneaky feeling I knew why. I was trying not to think about it much, since we switched locations this morning, but it was on my mind.

I wasn't going to get hurt again.

"You seem distracted," I finally voiced my thoughts aloud. "I hadn't seen you since last night and briefly when we moved this morning, but-" I broke off, taking a deep breath. I had to ask. I had to be certain that we were in this together. "Why are you here, Loki?" I asked solemnly.

"As my associate," he began slowly. "I… I wish to share my concerns and matters with you."

I heaved another sigh, resuming my former position on the edge of the bed. I clapped my hands together, fiddling with a ring on my finger. "I already know," I practically whispered.

He froze where he was pacing as well, cocking his head to one side. It was clear that we weren't on the same page, at least not yet. "How is that possible?" he questioned.

"I know a lot of things I shouldn't."

There was another long pause, as Loki ran his hands through his long black locks. He stared at the ground as he strolled over to my side and took a seat next to me. "I…" he started to say, not meeting my eyes anymore. "He needs to pay for the way that he is treating his future king… I serve no one."

I narrowed my eyes, my mind drawing a blank. "Wait," I interrupted, holding my hands in the air. "What are you talking about?"

"I had a vision."

"Oh."

Suddenly, everything was becoming clearer. He didn't come here to admit the wrong that he had committed the night before. He didn't come here to fill in the blanks, to give me the courtesy to let me know.

Loki gave me a bizarre look. "What were you referring to?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"It doesn't matter," I immediately clarified, shaking the thoughts from my head. "What was the vision about?"

"The Other approached me," he continued. "He demanded to know when the process would be complete. He wishes for me to open a portal to allow for this army to invade the city. When civilization is destroyed, they will bow down to me, their only hope."

So much for convincing him out of this plan.

I sighed, staring at the side of his face, not caring whether he was concerned with me or not at the moment. We had bigger problems at hand than my hurt feelings. I was being unfair.

"Us."

Loki glanced up for the first time in several minutes, a surprised look crossing his face as he dared to look over at me. "I beg your pardon?" he asked softly.

"They will bow down to us," I corrected.

The confused expression the god wore didn't fade even as I explained what I had meant. "I presumed that you would want nothing to do with me once I told you the plan laid out for my future," he said cautiously.

I placed my hand on top of his, a true smile crossing my face for the first time today. I let my gaze rest on his. "I told you," I repeated myself from earlier. "I'm in this for the long run. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into."

Loki just didn't know how true that actually was. If the plan worked out accordingly, not only did I know what was going to happen, I could make it succeed this time.

"I do not think you understand," Loki protested, pulling away from me in a sense of protection. "There will be Chitari-"

I continued to shake my head, refusing to let him speak for more than a minute at a time. "If you think I am scared of an alien invasion, then you obviously don't know me as well as you claim," I stated. "I didn't train for almost a year on Asgard for nothing. Loki, listen to me. I want to rule. I want to be by your side. Nothing you say will change that."

I placed my hand on top of his, tilting my head to one side. It was amazing. He had a silver tongue, naturally, trying to convince me out of events that I knew were unstoppable. However, it was I who had the last word this time. I never thought that I could be happy about an alien invasion, but if that was the price to pay for my happiness, then I would pay it a hundred times over. I think it was about time we both got our happy endings.

"The Other and his… companions wish to control me," Loki broke into my thoughts, clearing his throat. "I will not let that happen. No one controls the future king of the nine realms."

"Stick with the first realm to begin with," I teased, even though I secretly hoped our plan would work the second time around. I already knew how this could end. I wasn't going to let that happen. "I have your back."

Loki shook his head, slightly pulling away from me. "That is what I am afraid of," he spoke so quietly that I had to strain to hear him.

Before I could question what he was implying, however, he glanced up again, all strands of fear and perhaps something else fading from his gaze. "So, what did you believe I was speaking of earlier?" he questioned.

A blush crossed my cheeks as I realized that he remembered my earlier confusion with the conversation. I hoped that he hadn't recalled my mistake. Of course, he had.

"I…" I started to say but then broke off, shaking my head. "I know about Emerald."

There wasn't even a pause, which I wasn't sure how to feel about. "Valencia-" he began, but I cut him off, holding up my hands in the air.

"I don't want to know. I don't need to know. All I want to know is why you would risk your entire operation… for her."

Loki stared at me, curiosity burning behind his eyes. I could tell he wanted to ask me some questions too, but I deserved some answers first.

"She was trying to use me, for what I do not know," he explained swiftly. "She used her words in an attempt to get under my skin, but I turned the tables. I removed her from our situation. After I had disposed of her, I planned on using this," he added, holding up his scepter, "to recruit her to our army. But she proved immune to my power as well."

There was a pause in which my heart hammered in my chest. I could see where this was going from miles away.

"Just like you."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how to respond. It was like my throat had gone completely dry. Loki, however, only took that as the confirmation he needed.

"So tell me," he swept on as if I hadn't made any sort of movement. "How are you connected to Miss Maitland?"

I wasn't sure if this was his only suspicion or if Emerald had voiced an opinion about me. I had only seen a glimpse of her, and I knew that she was trying to steal yet something else from me.

There was a long period of time that passed before I found the words to actually speak instead of just staring at Loki.

"You believe that I'm playing you?" I finally had the courage to voice my question aloud.

I didn't dare attempt to explain everything that had happened between Emerald and me. How was I supposed to clarify events that I wasn't even sure I knew what happened? I had a sneaky feeling that I knew why Loki's mind-control powers didn't work on me, my suspicions confirmed with Emerald, but I couldn't very well tell Loki that I was from another universe entirely.

"No," Loki let out a loud sigh. "I believe that she lacks the conviction to conquer that you do. She believes she has the upper hand, and yet, only you do. There is a difference between you two and-"

I wasn't about to let him finish. "You have endless magic," I interjected. "Why did you have to…" I trailed off. "Do you have feelings for her?"

"What?" he asked, blurting out the question before he had the chance to truly think about it. His eyes widened, shaking his head. "This accusation-"

"Do you have feelings for her?" I repeated.

Loki tilted his head to one side. "I am incapable of emotions, you forget," he said cautiously. "I have no heart."

I rolled my eyes. "Right, of course."

"You do not believe me?"

"Forgive me," I responded, sarcasm dripping off of my tongue. "So you discovered that you couldn't mind-control her and then you dumped her off, stealing some files off of her phone?"

Loki shrugged his shoulders, a half-smirk appearing on his face. "Something along those lines," he stated. "She proved to be useful, after all. I know what SHIELD is planning on doing to find us, which is another reason why we have moved locations."

"Did you really have to-"

"Are you jealous?"

I wasn't expecting that.

"Are you worried that I will go back on my request for you to become my partner because of another zealous mortal?" he continued. "My dear, it is like you do not even know me at all."

I didn't even bother to comment on his defense.

"Emerald was my friend," was the only response I gave.

Loki didn't say anything, which only confirmed my suspicions that Emerald had said something to him. Still, I could tell that curiosity tainted his gaze.

"Since I was twelve years old, she was my best friend, always pretending to be there for me," I began slowly. "I was the one in the shadows while she constantly shined over me. I had to talk over her to get her mouth shut. I had to butt into conversations just to be included. She pretended to care for me, but she never did. No matter what I did, she was always one step ahead of me."

Loki nodded understandingly, never once taking his eyes away from the side of my face. I pushed back the anger and rage that threatened to consume me even just talking about the subject, and instead focusing on the fact that for the first time, I had found someone exactly like me.

"She was the one who made you weak," he finally commented, answering exactly the way I had predicted.

I only sighed in response. "She caused my pain," I added, "and it seems that she is still continuing to ruin my life." I shook my head. "That pain only makes me stronger now."

"Which is why you should have no fears that I will choose her over you."

Daring to finally glance up into his eyes, I practically melted at the expression that I found there. He was safe. He was a home to me, which was something that I would have never thought possible before. This was something that I would find dangerous in the past, but now, I had no qualms about falling in love with the god.

However, before I could voice my realization aloud, Loki swept on as if he hadn't noticed my hesitation. "You are the one at my side when the dust settles," he purred. "You are my Queen. She will be the one bowing down to us next time."

All doubtful thoughts I had about the god sitting next to me flew out of my head. I always had fantasized about this moment, but living it was something I could have never imagined. Why he trusted me, why he chose to care about me – whether he admitted it or not, I would probably never know.

I didn't question it.

But before I could formulate a response to any of his comments, Clint took that exact moment to barge into the room, immediately freezing as he laid eyes on us.

"Hey, I'm gonna need a distraction," he commented, throwing a pointed smirk in my direction.

It was as if he already knew what was going to happen. To give him credit, he probably did.

Loki raised an eyebrow, pulling away from my side and stretching up to his full height. "I beg your pardon?" he questioned.

"And an eyeball."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Devil's Backbone - The Civil Wars

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	21. Chapter 21

**PANDORA**

"Have you found anything yet?"

If I heard that one more time, I was going to throw something at the director's bald head.

It was bad enough that I was awoken by sirens on the very first night that I stayed on the Helicarrier, but it was worse that I had no idea what was happening. And Director Nick Fury, of course, was not helping.

I finally glanced up angrily as no one responded, my eyes narrowed in tired slits. "I've been staring at these monitors since I was rudely awakened at four am," I snapped. "It is now seven. Three hours isn't going to cut it."

Maria flashed me a warning glance, one that I ignored naturally, and smiled apologetically at Fury. "We're working on it," she clarified.

"I have three of the most talented minds working on this," Fury retorted, obviously unhappy with the lack of progress that we had made. He turned to look at me. "Well, at least two talented minds. How much more time do you need?"

I opened my mouth to shout back at the director, but Steve cut me off, trying to save the conversation from going sour.

"With all due respect, we don't even know if there's anything on these tapes," he added cautiously, not wanting the director to explode again.

He did.

"Dammit!" Fury exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table that we were all gathered around. I nearly jumped right out of my seat. "There has to be something!"

Fury didn't give us as much credit as we deserved.

For a team that consisted of Steve, Maria and me, searching through an entire night's worth of security footage in all of the suspected cities that the Tesseract was located was nearly impossible. Nearly, because Fury insisted that we should be able to find something "unusual" amongst these tapes. I had no idea what the hell I was even remotely looking for, and I was getting angrier by the minute.

"What about Bruce?" I questioned, wanting to rid myself of the constant footage playing in front of my eyes. "Or Natasha? Or Phil?"

Maria cleared her throat, not helping my cause. "Doctor Banner and Agent Romanoff are working on the face trace," she said, but I cut her off, narrowing my eyes further.

"Face trace?" I blurted out. "For who?"

Even though, of course, I already knew who had the Tesseract. I just had a sneaky feeling that I was being left in the dark on purpose.

"We decided it would be more productive if we left Agent Coulson out," Maria continued as if I hadn't spoken. But I, at least, earned the curious glance of Steve.

I shrugged my shoulders, keeping the horrible thought about Loki in the back of my brain. "Probably true," I relented, staring back at the screens laid out in front of me. I was going cross-eyed. "Are you following any other leads?" I asked, tagging onto my original statement.

Maria exchanged a quick glance with Fury, another reason to believe that I was being left in the dark. Although this time, she actually chose to answer my question.

"The security breach came from Stark's technology."

"What?" I exclaimed, almost knocking over the screen in front of me. "How is that possible?"

My heart hammered in my chest, immediately thinking the worst. What if my worst fears were confirmed and something had happened to Emerald?

"We called in our consultants."

If my blood could turn to ice quicker, it did.

Tony wasn't supposed to arrive on the Helicarrier until after Germany, and this was clearly before. How badly had we screwed things up? I had to physically hold my head to stop my thoughts from freaking out further.

Which is why I wasn't able to do anything but simply stare at the doorway as Tony Stark appeared in it.

"I hope you didn't have too much fun without me," he drawled as he sauntered into the room. "After all, it's not a party until I'm here."

If looks could kill, Tony wouldn't have made it past the doorframe.

He nodded to each of us, a wide smirk crossing his face. "Popeye. Ginger. Capsicle." He frowned, turning to Maria with confusion lacing his expression. "And you are?"

"Maria Hill."

"Interesting."

Tony stuck out his hand to which Maria only accepted begrudgingly. He turned back a moment later, continuing the conversation, and I snapped myself back into my body when I came to the realization that Emerald wasn't beside him.

"So," Tony said, clearing his throat. "Why have you suddenly decided that now is the best time to call in your favorite superheroes?"

"Where's Em?"

I didn't even know the words escaped my mouth until everyone turned their heads to stare at me. I probably looked as shocked as the rest of them.

"She had to deal with some things," Tony declared, shrugging off the comment. "She should be by shortly."

"SHIELD was hacked by one of your technologies," Maria butted in, making a face that clearly stated what she thought of Stark Industries.

Tony, however, wasn't buying it. "Like I said over the phone," he snapped, "that's impossible."

"That's the fact," Steve added, rolling his eyes. I had to admit that I was surprised at Steve's tone towards Tony after our bonding session at Stark Tower, but I shrugged it off moments later, boiling it down to crankiness. Even super soldiers needed their beauty sleep.

Tony paused for a moment, a single moment, as he judged all of our facial expressions. They were as serious as ever.

He sat down at the table across from me, immediately pulling some sort of machine from his pocket. "I'll start a trace," he uttered, instantly becoming consumed with the device in his hands.

I had no idea how Emerald put up with him.

As if she had read my mind, the door swung open to reveal my blonde best friend, looking more grim than usual. I immediately knew that something was wrong with her. Breathing a sigh of relief, I tried to catch her eye unsuccessfully as she stared down at her feet.

When Emerald entered the room, she glanced up for a moment, staring straight at me and stopping dead in her tracks. We locked concerned gazes for a moment, and for a second, I swore I saw a hint of a smile. But then, she had put a shell back on as she plopped down across from Tony, two seats down from me.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Maitland," Fury remarked, waiting for an explanation of her lateness.

Emerald only raised an eyebrow distastefully. "I don't like to be summoned," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

"And yet, here you are," retorted Fury. "What took you so long anyway?"

Emerald glared at the director, something I figured she would have to pay for later. "It's called none of your business," she said. "End of story."

For the first time, I wondered if there was something deeper behind Emerald and Fury. They seemed already pissed at each other, and not just due to Emerald's lateness. I reminded myself to ask her later.

I happened to glance across the way at Tony, and I had to blink several times to make sure that I saw the dirty look he was throwing Emerald. What had happened that I had missed in the span of a few days? Granted, I had become a SHIELD agent in that period of time, but this was different.

Something serious had happened to my friend.

Emerald glanced up, catching Tony's eye as well, noticing the distaste in his gaze. She shook her head, flipping him off in response.

Fury, on the other hand, had just realized that no one was paying attention to the task at hand and slammed his fist down on the table for the second time in the span of twenty minutes. I still jumped out of my seat.

"Stop it!" I shouted, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

"Is anyone even listening?" he demanded, scowling in Emerald and Tony's direction.

Emerald rolled her eyes, directing her attention back towards the SHIELD director. "Sorry, sir," she responded easily, her voice dripping with coolness. "There were a few distractions." She threw a pointed glance towards Tony, which was the last straw for me.

I was getting more and more stressed by the minute. 

I turned my attention back to the screens in front of me, busying myself in the task that I had been given now almost four hours ago. If I just tuned them out-

"As I was saying!" Fury bellowed. "Someone broke into a Stark Tech phone last night, which I might add has the highest security known in New York City, managed to find Stark's top-secret password, and proceeded to steal all personal files that were needed. All under your noses." He turned his glare back on Tony. "Care to explain?"

Tony didn't falter. "So now, this is our fault?" he chuckled, staring back down at his device.

If Fury had wanted to say anything else, I didn't give him a chance. My mouth dropped open as my eyes landed on a familiar-shaped figure, my heart rate immediately increasing once more.

"Wait."

Instantly, everyone's eyes were trained on me as I squinted at the one particular screen, rewinding and pausing it quickly before the image could fade away. I pointed to a shadow that was almost invisible to the naked eye. If I had not been concentrating so intently to block out the chatter around me, I wasn't sure if I would have caught it.

"There. Zoom in."

I paused, my heart leaping into my chest. Suddenly, all of my suspicions were confirmed in a single blurry outline of an image. "Oh my god," I breathed out, earning the curious attention of everyone in the room. "That's Loki."

I glanced up just in time to see Emerald's glare on the side of my face, but I ignored her. I knew her lecture to me would be about saying anything that would mess up the movies even more, but honestly, we were already screwed at this point.

"And how would you know that?" demanded Fury, narrowing his eyes towards me. At least he wasn't denying it.

"She reads a lot of Norse mythology," Emerald blurted out before I could defend myself.

I wanted to comment that I could take care of myself, but I knew she was stressed, consumed with something I couldn't tell, and protective. I bit back the words instead.

Fury frowned. "The god has been on our radar for a while now," he said slowly, admitting it begrudgingly. "His return is most troubling."

"He's the one who stole the Tesseract from you, isn't he?" I blurted out, unable to keep the secret back any longer.

Fury nodded slowly. "He is."

Steve, however, was focused on another aspect of the conversation. "You're saying that this villain is a god?" he questioned, squinting at the fuzzy image in front of us.

"Weren't your brains super-sized along with the rest of your body?" Tony said with a smirk, unable to stop from teasing the soldier. "Apparently not."

"Listen-" Steve started to retort, but Fury broke into the conversation before it could turn into a full-out brawl.

Fury shook his head, his eye darting to the screen and back up at the rest of us. "This still doesn't explain how he managed to get into a phone that he doesn't have access to and steal personal files," he said. He didn't seem surprised by this new information, nor did he have any qualms about keeping the information on Loki from Steve and me.

"He's magical," I replied with a shrug. "He can basically appear any place he wants to."

Fury pondered my comment for a moment before shaking his head once more. "Without setting off any alarms, especially from Stark?" he added. "Something is not right here."

A chair's squeaking noise erupted from two seats down from me as Emerald shot to her feet, her face completely neutral. I could tell that she was wearing a mask, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.

"Excuse me, I need some air," she announced, not meeting anyone's eyes as she left the room in a hurry.

I shot a glance in Tony's direction, taking in his neutral expression. If anyone knew what was going on with her, it was him.

"What is wrong with her today?" inquired Fury, asking the question that was burning on all of our brains.

Tony didn't look up from where he was still tinkering with his device. "She had a rough night last night," he explained in a mumble.

I raised an eyebrow at Tony, one that he ignored dutifully. "What are you implying?" I asked, a thousand thoughts running through my brain.

"Nothing," Tony sighed, setting the device down on the table and getting to his feet slowly. "Let me go talk to her."

I echoed his actions, holding a glare to his face as I stood up as well. "I'm her best friend," I said. "Maybe I should."

"Ginger-"

"Agent."

"Agent Ginger then," Tony retorted with a sharp tone to his voice. "You've been missing from her life for a while now. Let me handle this one."

Before I even had the chance to recoil from being mentally punched in the stomach, Tony was gone, and I was standing in the middle of the room like an idiot.

He was right, deep down I knew that, but I hated admitting that my friend had changed. For the first time ever, I was scared of losing the people that were closest to me, watching them fade away in front of me.

I finally turned to Fury after I took a moment to recover from the blow. "Do I have your permission to punch him in the face?" I asked, taking deep breaths to calm my rage.

"Be my guest."

I was damn sure that I was taking that opportunity.

The very moment that Tony walked back into the room, I stood up from my chair, clocking him right across the cheek. I was surprised at how hard I actually hit him, shaking out my hand as he doubled over in shock.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, clenching and unclenching his jaw to set it back into place.

I shrugged, a smirk growing across my lips. "Sorry, that felt really good," I apologized, retaking my place at the table.

Steve snickered from beside me. "That looked good."

"Is she alright?" I finally asked Tony when I realized that he returned alone, concern revisiting itself in my tone.

"I did it."

In a split second, we all dropped whatever we were doing and turned our attention back towards him.

"What?" Maria was the first one to respond, shaking her head in confusion.

"Did what?" I echoed, standing up slowly to hear him better.

Tony shook his head, leaning against a nearby chair. "I left my phone on, unlocked last night," he explained. "It was on the main floor, easiest to break into."

I narrowed my eyes. This wasn't adding up. "What are you even saying?" I interrupted, shaking my head as I tried to make sense of what he was throwing on the table.

"JARVIS alerted me that something was wrong, but I thought the security had already been amped," Tony added, still not meeting any of our eyes. "I didn't want to think that anything was wrong. It was my fault."

This sounded too rehearsed to my liking, but then again, I was tired and suspicious of everything today. I was counting on a nap later.

"Then why do you sound so hesitant?" Fury asked the question that, for the second time in this meeting, was burning on everyone's minds.

Tony snapped at Fury not a second later. "Because I don't like to admit when I'm wrong, okay?" he practically yelled. "That's why Em was so pissed off. She knew what I did, and she wanted me to own up to my mistake. Happy now?"

Maria sighed, wringing her hands together in exhaustion. "Now, we just have to figure out what they stole," she said with a nod, immediately pulling up a new set of screens to start another scan.

I, for one, was not about to stick around and watch. I had done my part for the day.

Shaking my head, I didn't even give an excuse before I exited the room, immediately heading towards one of the only rooms I knew in this entire ship. The shooting range.

I hadn't realized how long I spent in the range, nailing every target, until Natasha interrupted me, opening up the blinds to reveal the sun rising high in the sky. It had to be at least noon now. I blinked heavily, pocketing my handgun, as I spun around to face her.

"You're pretty handy with a gun," she commented, folding her arms across her chest.

I shrugged my shoulders, my facial expression remaining neutral. "I thought you were working on the face trace," I responded, my pulse still pounding in my ears from the constant gun shots. "Bruce has to have some sort of plan."

Natasha echoed my shrug. If she noticed how pissed I looked, I didn't care. Tony may have done whatever he claimed to have done, but there was something else that I saw in Emerald's eyes. There was something that she wasn't telling me.

"He's running short as of the moment," Natasha said. "I thought you were supposed to be helping with the break-in."

"I'm not as much help as I thought," I quipped. "A war is coming, and I'm better suited here."

Natasha ignored my remarks, gesturing to the gun I had just tucked away. "You know you won't always have the luxury of a gun," she commented, raising an eyebrow.

She was trying to challenge me, distract me further from being lost in my own thoughts, and as much as I appreciated it, I wasn't in the mood. I needed to be alone right now.

"I can handle my own," I said, fully prepared to turn around and continue my shooting, but Natasha grabbed my arm, forcing me to stare into her eyes.

"Then prove it."

I wasn't going to back down from a challenge.

I immediately attacked her, recalling each and every one of the training sessions that Steve and I had went through. I wanted to prove to Natasha that I could be an agent, that I was stronger than the other recruits, that I was stronger period. However, these thoughts only slowed me down, and that was when I found myself knocked to the ground.

I sighed, laughing at my own failure, and waited for Natasha to get up off of me. I was sprawled across the ground for a moment longer before the older agent held out her hand towards me, offering a chance to get back to my feet. However, I wasn't an amateur.

I yanked her back down to the ground, holding my fist to her throat with a wide smirk on my face.

Perhaps I didn't need to be alone, after all.

My smirk was echoed across Natasha's face as well, and I could already feel the pride swelling up in my chest. I had just beat Natasha Romanoff in a fist fight. I didn't care if she had taken it easy on me, but I had beat her. That counted for a whole lot in my book.

I stepped aside, allowing her to get up on her own, before I heard clapping coming from the doorway. I nearly jumped in shock as I spun around, locking eyes with Steve. He was leaning against the doorframe, watching us spar with admiration shining in his eyes.

"I think she proved it," he commented, unable to keep from smiling himself.

Natasha shook her head, catching her breath. "I underestimated you," she stated.

"And that's the last time you do that," I responded easily, the smirk never fading from my face as I glanced between Natasha and Steve. Forget the fact that I was woken up at four am and my best friend was keeping secrets from me, this was easily one of the best days of my life.

"I think you have a friend to find," Natasha commented, practically reading my mind, as I gave her one last smile and ran past the two observers.

Unfortunately, I had a horrible feeling that my great day was about to take a downward spiral.


	22. Chapter 22

**EMERALD**

This was not the outcome that I had been expecting.

I barely had time to figure out what was going to happen to us due to my grave error before I was whisked away onto the Helicarrier. It was too late now to admit what I had done wrong, but it still pained me to sit in that room and listen to Fury chewing Tony's head off for something that wasn't even his fault.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold back this information any longer. If the entire movie was about to change because of me, it was the least I could do to figure out the damage I caused.

My mind still wasn't in its right place after everything that had been unearthed yesterday. On top of my dilemma with both Valencia and Loki, I was pretty sure that collapsing my body into concrete gave me at least a concussion. I only hoped that I was able to return the gracious favor to Loki at some point.

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to turn around and head back into the room. This whole mess was my fault. Explaining what I did was the only way out of this.

I never got the chance.

A hand grabbed my arm from behind, swinging me around to face my assaulter. My face fell in exhaustion when I came face to face with Tony, his face full of accusation.

"What have you done?" he immediately snapped, putting the pieces together rather quickly.

I resisted the urge to snap back at him. I had wanted to talk to him last night, but he had stormed away before he even knew what had happened. Now, it was worse.

"Get off of me," I said, shaking his hand off of my arm. "You should trust me."

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. For a second, a look crossed his face that I didn't recognize on his features. If I was in my right state of mind, I would have thought it was empathy.

"Emerald," he tried to reason. "I know you."

He was right. He did know me, better than most these days. That was why it hurt even more to admit that I had betrayed him.

"I was only trying to help," I said softly, biting my lip. "I didn't mean any harm."

Tony raised his eyebrows, taking a step back and folding his arms across his chest. Clearly, he wasn't expecting me to own up to my mistake.

"You have no right to judge me," I interjected before he could say a word. "I figured out who attacked the SHIELD base and… and I found him. I had read about Loki before, and I knew what his weak spots were. I exploited them." I paused. "And then, he exploited me. I really thought I had turned him, Tone."

"You honestly believed him?" he asked, his voice cracking.

I threw my hands up in the air. I had owned up to my truth, and he still didn't want to believe it.

"I don't know what I thought," I retorted. "I wanted to stop the war before it started. I wanted to be the hero for a change. Is that not what we try to do every single day?"

Tony stared at me, my words processing in his brain for a minute, before he turned, heading back in the direction that he came.

If I felt bad about myself before, that was nothing compared to how I felt in that moment. It felt I had been punched in the gut by the person that I thought would have my back. In a sense, I was.

I turned on my heels, walking away from Tony so he couldn't see the tears spilling down my cheeks. I had lost two of my closest friends in a matter of hours. I had no idea how I was going to survive the rest of the movie.

It took me about fifteen minutes to find a hallway that wasn't bustling on the Helicarrier. I didn't even have time to enjoy the fact that I was actually sitting on the Helicarrier before my entire world shattered around me. This was my fault, after all. Enjoyment was a luxury I didn't get right now.

"You didn't come back to the meeting."

I glanced up with a sigh, recognizing the voice immediately. Pandora smiled down at me softly, shaking her head with her arms folded across her chest. I had no idea what Tony had told them, but frankly, it didn't matter anymore.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug, letting my eyes fall back to my knees. "I needed some air."

Pandora, however, was not going away anytime soon. "So, you say," she sighed, squatting to sit down next to me. "And yet, not even Tony could bring you back."

I wasn't sure what she was insinuating by that, but I wasn't in the mood to argue any longer. I just sat there, numbness filling my entire system as I tried not to think about the two people that I had pushed away.

"Em, what's going on?" Pandora finally questioned, breaking the silence in her gentle tone.

I shook my head, daring to glance over in my friend's direction. "You don't understand because I don't even understand," I said softly, letting out a breath I was holding in. "I changed all of this, Panda, and there's no going back this time."

"You don't have to worry about Tony, though," she continued, trying her hardest to comfort me. "He admitted it."

"I expected him to. He was really-"

"No, he admitted to leaving his phone on last night. He did the right thing, Em."

My blood immediately chilled to ice within my own skin. "Wh-what?" I stumbled over my own words. "Why would he do that?"

"People make mistakes, Em," Pandora continued as if she hadn't noticed my concerned expression. "He admitted it for you. That's not something-"

I cut her off before I could hear anything that would make the nauseous feeling in my stomach grow. "No," I interrupted. "I meant, why would he take the blame for me?"

Pandora froze in her train of thought, narrowing her eyes slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I went looking for Loki last night."

In another instant, she was on her feet beside me once again. "You what?" she spluttered, her eyes widening.

"I went looking for Loki," I explained slowly, "and I found him. I thought I could save everyone. I thought I could save Val."

A frown appeared across Pandora's face, her forehead crinkling in confusion. "Val?" she questioned. "What does she have to do with anything?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing for a few stray tears to leak down my cheeks. "Pandora, she's working for him," I finally said. "She's his Queen."

"No," Pandora tried to protest, shaking her head. "No, you must have thought you saw her. She can't-" She broke off, her breath catching in her own throat. "She wouldn't-"

She cut herself off again, her eyes falling to the ground. I could tell the thoughts running through her head. As much as she wanted to deny it, she could see it happening in her mind, as much as I could see it happening in front of my own eyes.

"You know her," I continued as Pandora stood shell-shocked. "She worships the floor that Loki walks on, it's just- I didn't think she would betray us so easily for a fictional character."

"It's not so fictional anymore."

I directed her attention back towards me, focusing on the fact of my mistake from the previous night. As much as I loved to ignore it, I knew that would only get me nowhere.

"That's not the point, Dora. Not only did I discover that our best friend is working with the enemy, I… I pretty much just let Loki into all of our plans."

I turned away from my friend. I didn't want to see her reaction because I had already witnessed Tony's. That was enough for one day.

"What did he do to you?" I could hear the frown in Pandora's voice. "Did he hurt you? What kind of magic did he use?"

The questions were getting unbearable.

"He kissed me."

There was a moment of silence. Pandora's expression was so neutral that a part of me thought she hadn't heard me. I was wrong.

"You're kidding, right," she said after several seconds of just staring into my soul.

I shook my head. "I tried to charm him," I explained. "After seeing… her, I thought I could convince him to join us. To cancel the whole world domination thing. Obviously, it didn't work. I just… had to do something. I wasn't going to sit around and wait for hundreds of people to die."

There was a pregnant pause between us, but I didn't dare say anything else.

"I have to tell them the truth."

Pushing myself away from the wall, I had already made up my mind. Pandora would say the same thing eventually, anyway.

She didn't.

She slipped her hands into mine, tilting her head to one side sympathetically. "Em," she began. "I don't blame you for trying to help, but you know Fury. He will crucify you if you tell him the truth. At least, he's accepting what Tony said."

I didn't wait another second before pulling Pandora into a hug, letting my tears soak her shirt. "I don't deserve someone like you," I said. "But I can't deal with a guilty conscious. I have to tell them the truth."

"To save Val or Tony?" she asked, a simple question that I wasn't quite sure how to answer.

I shook my head. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore," I continued, sadness crossing my features. "But I have to try something."

As I squeezed Pandora's hands one last time before I walked away, I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing. I only had one thing in my head, and that was to get rid of the hole that was filling up my heart. Tony had already done enough for me. I wasn't going to sit here while he took the blame for something I did, no matter how much that meant to me.

Whatever I was planning on, however, was going to have to wait.

"Maitland!"

I spun around on my heels, finding Maria Hill's eyes and immediately trying to make myself look more presentable than I already was. I had the feeling that I didn't leave a very nice impression on the rest of the SHIELD agents so far.

"Agent Hill," I responded quickly, nodding towards her. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of officially meeting."

She didn't even flinch. "The Director needs you in the conference room."

I held back a sigh, half-hoping that she was always this way. The last thing I wanted was for everyone to assume that I was how I acted back in that room. If I wanted to truly make a difference in this universe, fix what I had done, I had to start earning respect around here.

"Any leads on Loki?" I questioned, half-hoping that the answer was yes.

Nonetheless, the SHIELD agent shook her head. "Not yet," she stated. "But Fury's hoping that you can provide some new knowledge."

"It's what I'm here for, isn't it?" I said with a forced smile, heading back in the direction of the meeting room. If I wanted a confession, now was the time.

However, when I opened the door to everyone's prying eyes, the courage just washed right out of my system. From the look that Tony was giving me, I had half a mind to let him suffer. I convinced myself to focus on Fury, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Stark says you're good with technology," he stated flatly.

I shrugged my shoulders, not meeting anyone else's eyes. "Depends on what you mean," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

In an instant, Bruce tossed a cube-looking device in my direction. I caught it with ease, flipping the device around in my hands. "It's a new 3D hologram globe model I've been working on, based on different fluctuations with different life forms," he commented in a monotone. "You've been working with holograms at Stark Industries. Maybe you can catch something we're not. It's a big planet, after all."

I nodded slowly. "I'm on it," I replied. "But with all due respect, I work better alone. Besides, there can only be so many geniuses in the room before someone explodes."

I vaguely heard a chuckle from Bruce before I removed myself from the situation, cursing myself out for not doing exactly what I came there to do.

"Shut up, Emerald," I said to myself, shaking my head.

Heading back to my room was one of the hardest decisions that I made, half-wanting to barge back into the meeting room and spill the truth.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, however, all of my emotions just ran down my cheeks, letting out all of the tears that I threatened to hold back. But there was only one thing running through my mind at this moment.

I could fix this.

I took the model, flipping it over and over in my hands, debating the inner decision of what I was about to do. If I did this, this would not only change the movies for good, this would change the rest of the Marvel universe.

I didn't even hesitate before bringing up the holographic map of the world, zooming in on Germany immediately. I tried to push away the negative thoughts from my brain. If I was going to take the chance to right my wrongs, I would do it in a heartbeat.

And that is how I found myself back in the conference room on the Helicarrier not an hour later.

"I know where Loki is."

I could feel the frazzled expression on my face, but frankly, I didn't care. Dropping the cube device back on the table, I allowed for the others to crowd around the model, zooming further in on the city I had brought up. I thanked my knowledge of the movies that I knew what I was talking about, no matter how much my hands were shaking.

Bruce immediately glanced up in shock. "What?"

"Stuttgart, Germany," I stated with a shrug, playing off how my heart was beating out of its chest. "The models match. You did well, Doctor." I forced a smile to appear on my face, ready to turn around and head back out the door.

Tony, however, didn't give me that chance. "How were you able to figure it out so quickly?" he questioned, an accusing tone creeping up in his voice.

"Lucky guess," I practically spat, glaring in his direction.

"Either way," Fury interjected, sensing the tension before it could get any worse. And I knew that it was about to get plenty worse. "I suppose it's time we get ready. Everyone."

He threw me and Tony a look of approval, and I knew our fate was sealed. It was time to head to Germany.

I headed out the door in a slight panic, my breathing growing harsher by the minute. As I practically bee-lined it back to my temporary room, I could feel my knees threatening to give out on me and my hands starting to shake again. I was losing control. I could feel it.

I had done it again. I had changed the movies. There was no going back. There was no fixing my mistakes. There was just… war.

"Dammit!" I shouted, punching the mirror that I was currently staring into, shattering the glass around me. I didn't even notice the pain as blood seeped down my knuckles, dripping onto the floor.

I had no idea what came next.


	23. Chapter 23

**VALENCIA**

If we had a plan, it was going perfectly.

It had been a couple of days since the chaos erupted, kicking off the events of the movie that I once knew. However, so far, nothing had been the same.

It was all Emerald's fault, naturally. If the movie was changing, that meant the outcome could change. I was holding onto that fact so tightly that I was afraid to unclench my metaphoric fists.

Germany wasn't my idea, not in the slightest, but I only helped for it to become a reality sooner. Clint's idea remained the same luckily because I had no clue how to pull off a trick such as that. Thankfully, I didn't have to.

By using my knowledge of the movie, I was able to push up the timeline, allowing for Loki's Stuttgart attack to occur sooner. I only hoped that I was able to throw the SHIELD agents and therefore my friends off. I had no doubts that they were all working together, against me.

I was jolted out of my thoughts a moment later, landing my gaze on two agents stumbling around the room, carrying boxes that were far too large for my liking. Heading in their direction, I put an unpleasant look on my face, folding my arms across my chest.

"You two!" I called out towards them, earning their nervous glances in return. My eyes narrowed further to slits. "Are you on Agent Barton's detail?"

One of the agents almost dropped his box as he shifted his weight from one foot to the next. "Yes ma'am," he said with a nod. "We're moving these to the truck to prepare for later."

I couldn't tell if he was lying or not, and that worried me. We weren't going to have any screw-ups.

"Do you think we're getting to Germany on a truck?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Who's the travel advisor here?"

The second agent pointed in the direction of an agent passing behind me, obviously eager to get the attention away from the pair of them. I spun around, sending my glare towards the next unlucky soul.

"You!" I demanded, receiving a surprised look in response. I rolled my eyes. "Yes you!" I repeated. "We need transportation for this equipment."

The agent sent me a confused glance, but from the way that his gaze was shifting from side to side, I could tell that he was afraid to say anything.

That was when it hit me.

These men weren't lying. They were terrified of me.

I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror since joining Loki's army, let alone the moment that I became the supposed Queen. I hadn't wanted to until this moment.

"I thought Loki would-" the agent started to say, but one look from me shut him right up.

"Never assume our King would do anything for you," I snapped. "His powers are great, but there is always a limit, especially for mortals such as yourself. He is not going to magic a truck in the middle of Germany."

All three of the agents nodded quickly, scurrying away out of my sight. "Understood, my Queen," they muttered before disappearing from view.

"Better be damn understood," I hissed under my breath, shaking my blonde hair as I watched them leave. "Does anyone ever think straight around here?"

No one answered.

"You're pretty harsh on them."

I turned back around slowly, recognizing his voice right away. I met Clint's smirking face with a glare of my own.

"It seems like I have to be," I pointed out as I sighed, tying up my hair in a ponytail. "This plan of yours better work."

Clint didn't even hesitate. "It will."

I raised an eyebrow towards the archer, blinking slowly. "I'm hoping," I corrected him.

I knew how all of this played out in the movies, but this was different now. Everything was different now, and he was acting a little too confident for my liking.

We stood there in silence for several moments, lost in our own thoughts, before Clint had the audacity to clear his throat. I glanced upwards in slight shock, shaking away my thoughts. I had time for that later.

"So what are my orders, my Queen?" he questioned, to which I only rolled my eyes.

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not," I said slowly, adding a sigh at the end of my sentence. "Just… get everyone in order. They listen to me, but I can't be in ten places at once. I don't want any surprises later, from overseas or back home."

Clint barely even blinked. "Done and done," he replied smoothly. "Your Royal Highnesses don't have to worry about a thing." He walked away, swinging his bow over his shoulder with an air of smugness.

I shook my head, breathing out a long exhale. He was something else, but I was glad to have this time to get to know him, even if he was brainwashed. That was something I could deal with later. At least for right now, I had a friend again.

"Bravo."

I jumped about ten feet in the air, half-cursing myself for being so on edge. Loki was always appearing places.

"Christ, don't do that," I swore, shaking my head. And yet, I couldn't help a small smile from appearing on my face just at the sight of him.

Loki completely ignored my words, heading in my direction slowly. I felt the air compress around me immediately. "You ready for our show later?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with that stupid smirk on his face.

When my heart started hammering in my chest, I knew it was all over.

"I heard it's going to be quite the spectacle," I responded easily, echoing his smirk.

He took another step closer, and it took everything I had not to cave in. "With you?" he purred. "Always."

I folded my arms across my chest, turning away from them and towards the chaos still erupting around me. "I just wish people knew how to do their jobs," I changed the subject, away from the danger zone, as I referred to it.

"You are doing well with them," Loki responded with a nod. "They listen to you, they take orders from you, they respect you because you are their command and ruler. You are going to be a Queen to remember for ages."

I blushed, refusing to look the god of mischief in the eyes. I knew what they called him, the silver tongue, and I refused to fall for that. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," I warned him, half-hoping that I would be able to change the movie for the better.

Loki took another few steps until he was standing directly in front of me. Whether he was teasing consciously or not, I was not about to fall into his trap.

"I have been thinking-" he started to say, but I cut him off immediately.

"When are you not thinking?" I retorted, still refusing to meet his gaze that was burning holes in my skin.

"I have been thinking about you," he continued as if I hadn't spoken, "and everything that you have given up for me and my quest. You are a mortal that acts like you have nothing to lose. I have never met someone of your caliber before. I am impressed."

I still didn't meet his eyes, even though he was saying everything I ever wanted to hear and more. If I did, I knew exactly what would happen. This was how he treated everyone under his spell, after all.

"I have been thinking about you too," I said slowly, not really sure how I was supposed to respond. "You have given me everything. You have given me a home, a chance to prove myself, a partnership. That is something I can never repay you for."

I knew Loki was smiling at me without even looking. I was getting that comfortable around the god. Dangerous territory, indeed.

"You never have to repay me," he added, placing a hand under my chin and lifting my eyes up to meet his. "You are… different than the rest. I am not good at admitting myself, but this is the first time I have felt like this to someone of your kind."

"Felt like what?" The question slipped out of my mouth without realizing that I had said those words. I already knew the answer.

"Perhaps it is best if I just showed you."

A part of me knew what was coming next, but shock still rang across my face as Loki planted his lips directly on mine. Utterly startled for a moment, my heartbeat stopped completely as he physically took my breath away. In the next moment, however, I knew that my previous thoughts were futile. This was the most genuine I had ever seen the god.

I forced myself to pull away, catching my breath and letting an incredulous look cross my face. "That is one way to make an impression," I said, biting my lip softly with a smile that refused to go away.

"Do you believe me now, my dear?"

I was definitely screwed.

"Yes."

As I pulled him down into another kiss, I wrapped my arms around his neck as I moved my lips against his. Loki was the one to pull away this time, resting his forehead against mine.

"Now, what do you say we conquer this planet?" he practically whispered, his breath blowing coolly against my cheek.

"I thought you would never ask."

Teleportation was not my thing.

So far, between traveling between Asgard and Midgard, I found that I was enjoying this less and less. However, I had no doubts that Loki would keep me safe, and that teleportation was the easiest way to get to Germany, of course.

I glanced around my surroundings, taking in the appearance of the museum closing us in. I had never traveled out of the country before, unless one counted Canada, and I had to say, I barely even comprehended where we actually were. This was playing out exactly like it was in the movies, and that alone was a good sign. Perhaps Emerald hadn't screwed up as much as she would have liked.

Loki jolted me out of my thoughts as I stared down at the celebration occurring below. "Are you prepared for this?" he questioned, taking my hand.

"With you at my side, always," I answered honestly. "Thank you."

However, before we could make a move, Clint buzzed in on my earpiece with a scoff to show his distaste. "Is this going to be a thing now?" he questioned. I could almost see the face he was making from his position outside the building.

"Just do your job," I hissed back, but I couldn't help a smile from creeping up across my features.

I turned back towards Loki, the smile not fading for a moment. He squeezed my hand gently, intertwining our fingers. "Let's make an appearance, shall we?" he said before we descended the stairs down to the lower level of the museum.

As I glanced out at the masses of people in this single building, I shook my head, letting my blonde curls bounce around my shoulders. "Why am I here again?" I asked the god standing at my side.

"Because I need to look good somehow," he responded easily with a smirk. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he did that all by himself. "Besides," he added after a second's thought. "My Queen deserves to be shown off."

I blushed. "You flatter me," I whispered with another toss of my head. This god was going to the death of me.

We reached the front desk of the celebration, and I peered over the stand at the rest of the party, my gaze landing on the man in question. My eyes shifted back towards the worker standing at the front desk, raising his eyebrows in our direction.

"Do you have reservations?" he questioned dryly.

Loki twitched his hand that wasn't holding my own, obviously prepared to send some sort of spell over him. I released my hand from his grasp, sending him a look that clearly stated that magic wasn't necessary. Draping myself across the front desk, I widened my eyes and batted my lashes, making sure that the worker knew exactly where his eyes should be looking.

"Do we really need reservations?" I quizzed, smirking when I noticed that his eyes were most definitely not on my face. "My boyfriend and I just really love the arts, and we would absolutely die for a tour of this place."

The man cleared his throat, shaking his head as he glanced between the two of us. "Right this way," he said, moving away from his post and further into the museum.

I sent Loki a smirking look, to which he returned with a disapproving shake of his head. "Don't be jealous," I teased, grinning widely. "Who needs magic, anyway?"

"You continue to surprise me, my dear."

We waited until we were fully immersed in the thick of the party before Loki wrapped his arm around my waist. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the unexpected contact, but I forced myself to take a deep breath and focus on whatever was directly in front of me.

"On my mark," he murmured, his breath tickling my ear. "Three. Two." He didn't even get to one before he separated himself from me, swinging his staff around and knocking out the worker in front of us. I smirked to myself, knowing that he enjoyed that.

In another second, Loki had found the man in question that Clint needed, pulling the eye-ball scanner out from his pocket and slamming it into his face. As violent as it was, if that got us what we needed, I could handle it.

However, when the guests started scattering, I knew that was my cue.

"Hey!" I shouted, running back towards Loki's side as he held the man down. I grabbed his chin and kissed his cheek quickly before he could protest. "Good luck."

I glanced back over my shoulder at the god that had somehow captured my heart before I ran out of the building with the mobs of people doing the same. I had another problem to take care of.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Empire - Alpines

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	24. Chapter 24

**PANDORA**

The Helicarrier was huge.

Since leaving Em's side, I spent the next hour trying to find the room that I left Steve, Tony and Bruce in. I should have known that wouldn't be a good combination, but frankly, they had a task to fulfill. When I finally found the room again, I breathed out a sigh of relief, expecting to walk in on some random meeting like I had already done about ten times.

However, this was not the same meeting that I had left. Steve, Tony and Bruce were still there, hovering over something I couldn't see, but Maria and Natasha had joined them. I frowned, walking further in the room, trying to contain how frazzled I felt.

"What's going on?" I asked, earning all five pairs of eyes on me.

Steve sent me an apologetic look. According to the timeline that I somewhat knew, nothing was supposed to happen for another day or two. The look of concern passing across their faces was certainly something new, though.

"We have a plan," Steve finally spoke up, which only caused me to narrow my eyes. Something wasn't right here.

"A plan?" I added onto my original statement. "A plan for what exactly?" I edged closer to the table, spying a holographic map and a bunch of scattered papers. I glanced up at Bruce in a mixture of surprise and elation. "Did your face trace work, Doctor Banner?"

If it had, that just meant that I was going to be able to kick some ass sooner, and I had just the ass I wanted to kick.

Bruce exchanged an uneasy glance with Steve before looking back at me. "We had a little help speeding along the process from your friend," he explained slowly.

"What?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, narrowing my eyes at the doctor, but they continued to ignore me. The last I left her, she was coming back in here to reveal the truth, but it seemed that she had done just the opposite.

"So before Ginger interrupted," Tony continued, pointing to a sheet of paper in front of Maria. "Two Quinjets?"

Maria nodded in response. "We can afford that," she said. "You four head here to intercept Loki while Emerald and I head to check the back of the building." She pointed to an unmarked location on the map, but I wasn't even paying close attention.

This was new.

"Why do we need two Quinjets?" I interrupted again.

Natasha glanced over in my direction, shrugging her shoulders. "Loki could be a decoy for another real plan," she commented. "Why would he choose to reveal himself now?"

The rage continued to boil in my system. After the lecture Emerald had given me about messing up the timeline, she still chose to go and do exactly that.

"I'm assuming Emerald told you that," I tried not to snap.

"She makes a fair point," Steve put in, giving me a gentle gaze. He could tell something was wrong with me, but I wasn't about to get into that now.

I turned on my heels, making my way out the door again. "Just let me know when we're leaving," I called over my shoulder. I had a friend to berate.

It took me significantly less time to find Emerald this round. I wasn't sure what room Maria had assigned her, but I assumed it was at least close to where I was staying. I was right, for once.

"What did you do?" I blurted out as I flung open the door to her temporary bedroom.

Emerald spun around on the spot, holding her hands behind her back. I narrowed my eyes as her wild eyes searched mine in desperation. My own eyes flickered to her abdomen, wondering what she was hiding from me.

"I didn't do anything."

I gave her a knowing look, taking a step closer to her. "Don't you dare pull that card with me, Maitland," I said, using my stern tone of voice. "They're planning their attack in Germany. They know it's a foil."

Emerald sighed, dropping her hands to her side and stepping away from the mirror she was standing in front of. For the first time, I noticed the broken glass shattered around the room, and that was before I saw her bloodied hands.

"Em-"

She didn't even let me say anything.

"What else was I supposed to do?" she exclaimed. "We know what's going to happen, and we can stop it. I already messed up, Dora, I wasn't going to do it again."

It was time for the harsh truth.

"We're not here to save people," I said, tension creeping in my muscles. "We're here to live though the movie that we know. If we go about changing anything else, we could end up making it a lot worse. You have to stop, Em."

Emerald continued to shake her head, not even comprehending that her knuckles were dripping blood on the tiles beneath our feet. "I just can't sit back and…" she trailed off.

"We're going to have to."

She finally glanced up at me, and I could see the broken light in her eyes. I closed the distance between us, taking her hands in mine. I didn't care what happened next, to be perfectly honest. I just wanted to see the confidence return to my friend.

"We have to let Loki get captured," I continued. "We have to let him sabotage this Helicarrier. We have to let him invade New York. Because if we don't, there are going to be more consequences. We've already learned that lesson."

"Pandora, I can't be strong anymore."

Emerald's voice cracked as she spoke, and I could tell that it was taking everything in her to hold herself together.

"You still are," I insisted. "You've always been the natural born leader. Now, I need you. The Avengers need you. Is that not enough?"

Emerald heaved a loud sigh. "There's no guarantee that I won't put a bullet in Loki's chest the next time I see him," she finally responded.

"As long as you aim for the irrelevant organs," I added, although a small smile did appear on my face. At least she was capable of humor.

I opened my mouth to say something else comforting, but the door creaked open, signaling another person's arrival. Emerald cleared her throat, letting go of my hands and turning away from the door.

As Natasha poked her head in, Emerald had her hands hidden from view once more. "Suit up," Natasha commented, glancing between the two of us. "We leave in five." She paused as she took in the broken glass and the tear streaks down Emerald's face. "What happened in here?" she asked.

Emerald nodded once. "I slipped."

For a long moment, I thought Natasha was going to try and pry information out of my blonde friend. I breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded, turning back around in the doorway.

"Just make sure someone cleans this up," she said before she exited.

I threw Emerald a gracious glance, putting my hand back on her shoulder. I wasn't sure how we were going to get through this, but we were going to do it together.

I found myself sending Emerald off on a Helicarrier with Maria Hill not ten minutes later. I, however, was quite looking forward to my ride with Steve, Natasha and Tony. In spite of that, I practically blinked and found myself flying over western Europe.

"You would think flying to Germany would take longer than this," I commented, catching a glimpse of the clouds through the windows.

Natasha chuckled, glancing over at us from where she was currently piloting the Helicarrier. "Used to flying commercial?" she questioned.

"Not surprisingly," I retorted. "You forget I've only been an agent for a few days."

"And you're better than most agents who have been with us for months."

Okay, that surprised me.

Before I had the chance to answer, however, Steve inserted himself into the conversation. I was still half-shocked that Natasha thought I was a good SHIELD agent and still half-surprised that Tony hadn't said a word yet.

"She had a good teacher," Steve said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, so humble."

"You'll need a supervising officer if you're going to be a full agent," Natasha continued as if Steve hadn't spoken.

A shadow of smile crossed my face at the thought of Natasha training me in the future. If I even had a future after this movie.

Instead, I simply asked, "Is that an offer?"

"Depends on how well this mission goes," she said before she continued pressing buttons on the dashboard of the plane. "We're nearing the drop zone."

I wondered why I hadn't thought this part of the mission through. A part of me just really wanted Natasha to land the plane somewhere very safe on the ground, I supposed.

"Wait, we're jumping out of this plane?" I voiced aloud, the words slipping out of my mouth. "Are you shitting me?"

Steve had already gotten to his feet, pulling on a parachute and pressing the button to open the back door of the plane. Wind immediately whipped around my ankles as I fought the urge to freak out. This was definitely not as cool as it seemed in the movies.

"Watch your language," he shouted back at me over the gusts of air, a smirk still plastered on his face.

Before I could retort something sarcastic, Steve had already jumped out of the plane. I hated him.

I stood there practically frozen, just staring at the clouds below me. I couldn't even move to grab a parachute even if I wanted to. I certainly wasn't doing a very good job of impressing Natasha.

"There is no way… I can't… oh shit," I continued to stammer.

In a split second, I felt something cold wrap around my waist, and it took me a full ten seconds to realize that it was Tony's arm from his Iron Man suit. I hadn't even noticed he put it on. My brain didn't even process what his intentions were until it was too late.

"Allow me to be of assistance," he said, his electronic voice ringing around the Helicarrier, before he turned his blasters on and flew out the door.

"Go to hell, you mother-"

I didn't finish. I was too busy clinging onto his suit for dear life…and screaming. I did a lot of screaming.

When we landed on the ground, I practically fell out of Tony's arms in relief.

"Next time make our entrance a little more discreet," he said, popping his mask up to reveal his clear look of disapproval.

A giggle exploded from my lips as I stared at the clouds that were now hundreds of feet over my head. "Did we really come from all the way up there?" I couldn't help but ask. "Damn, I'm sorry, that was… shit." I needed to be stopped.

"Pull yourself together, Ginger," Tony replied. "We have to find your boyfriend."

That certainly snapped me back to my sarcastic self.

"He's not-" I tried to defend myself, but it seemed even Tony knew what was coming next.

"Yeah yeah, I know. He's not your boyfriend."

We walked through the abandoned lot that we had landed in, trying to listen for any sounds of distress. All I heard was a language that I knew a total of zero words from.

I let the silence settle between Tony and me for a few minutes as we continued our saunter. I kept stealing glances over at him, watching his expression darken every second that passed.

"So why did you lie for Emerald?" I asked, finally breaking the ice.

If I could have recorded the incredulous look I received in response, I was pretty sure I would have been social media famous.

"She told me everything," I added onto my original question. "I know what really happened, so answer my question. Why did you lie for her?"

"I don't have to answer you."

I shrugged. "No, you don't, but you should answer for yourself," I responded truthfully. "You can be mad at her, but you need to check yourself. Is it because you owe it to her for being your partner in crime or because you care about her more than that?"

I was sure I knew the answer to that question, but I wanted to see the shock that rang across Tony's face when I asked it. Emerald may have denied the connection between the two of them, but I, for one, was not about to ignore it.

I, however, never got my answer.

A gaggle of screams split through our eardrums. In a split second, Tony had his helmet flipped down, and I could no longer see his face. "Found them," he commented, his voice completely monotone.

I caught a glimpse of Steve and Loki fighting from the corner of my eye, so I knew Tony's excuse was valid. That certainly didn't stop me from shouting, "You ignorant prick!" after him as he flew towards the fight.

Sprinting towards the battle, I felt my adrenaline pumping through my veins. This was the first time I was going to be discharging my weapon for real. This was no longer a simulation.

Once I caught up to the three-way battle between Tony, Steve and Loki, I paused, taking in the sights before me. I had never been to Germany before, but this looked identical to the way it did in the movies. And the god of mischief himself was standing right in front of me.

The pause was temporary.

Everything Emerald had told me about him came flooding back in an instant. I grabbed my gun from my belt, holding it in front of my face. I waited until Tony and Steve had been thrown to the side before I emptied my clip straight towards the god in front of me.

All Loki had to do was wave his hand, and my gun evaporated in my hand. Shock passed over my face like a shadow, but anger replaced it almost instantly. That was my favorite weapon.

I made to throw a punch at the god like that was really going to do anything, and he immediately grabbed my neck and tossed me across the street. I wasn't sure what I had thought the outcome of that was going to be.

Pain flooded my nervous system as my body smacked against the concrete. I scrambled around as Loki stalked his way over to me, trying to find something to defend myself with.

"You think a few bullets are going to make a difference, girl?" he hissed. "I can snap you in half with a few of my fingers. Do you really want it to go this way?"

As soon as he was hovering over me, I made my decision in a split second.

"I would love to see you try," I spat, narrowing my eyes.

I waited for the moment for Loki to lean back, debating his next move, before I threw my legs in the air, kicking him straight in the stomach. I didn't hesitate to roll away from him as his scepter slammed into the ground where I had been a second earlier.

A flash of red and gold passed my vision, and I knew that I only had one more chance.

"Tony!" I screamed, grabbing his attention almost instantly.

He flew over to my side, zapping Loki in the back with his repulsors, before he held them in the air, threatening to continue. "Make a move, Reindeer Games," he growled.

Loki stared Tony for a second before he slowly dissolved his armor, holding his hands in the air. At least this was familiar to me.

"Good move."

I winced as I finally got to my feet, my entire body aching. It felt like I had just gone to the gym for five hours straight.

As I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic towards the defeated god, Emerald and Maria came running from around the side of the building. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I watched the rest of the scene play out like I knew. Emerald had done well.

Nonetheless, I saw her stop dead in her tracks when she caught a glimpse of Loki. I tried to catch my blonde friend's eyes, but she was locked on the god. It was like she was frozen.

"Ah, it looks like you brought the entire crew," Loki said, a smirk crossing his lips.

I immediately stepped next to Loki, stopping the look on Tony's face from erupting into yet another battle that I knew I wasn't ready for. "Shut up Asgardian," I snapped. "I don't want to hear another word."

"Your wish is my command, princess," he said, his gaze shifting from Emerald's over to mine. I met it with a steel glare. He wasn't going to get under my skin.

However, if I had wanted to retort, I wasn't given the chance.

"Pandora!" I heard from behind me, causing me to spin around despite my best intentions. I saw Steve sprinting towards me, a clear look of concern on his face. My forehead ceased its worried crinkle as I laid eyes on the soldier.

He immediately glanced me over, clearly looking for signs of injuries. From what I could tell, I was just going to have a lot of bruises in the morning.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice cracking with worry.

"I'm fine," I responded immediately, shaking my head. "It's time to end this."

I shifted my gaze back to where Loki was sitting on the steps of some German museum that I probably should have known the name of, a stupid smirk still plastered on his face. There was only one thing left to do.

"Let's take him in."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: This Isn't Control - MS MR

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	25. Chapter 25

**EMERALD**

My heart didn't stop pounding until I laid eyes on my friends surrounding Loki. I let out a long sigh that I hadn't known I was holding in. At least they were able to correct my mistakes. The path was correcting itself.

As Tony and Steve began escorting Loki back to where Natasha was waiting with the Quinjet, I grabbed Pandora's arm, sensing the look of panic on her face. Tony hadn't even glanced in my direction, and to be fair, that was better than the alternative. I couldn't look at him, knowing that he had taken the fall for me.

"Hey," I said in a hushed tone as Pandora spun to meet my eyes. "What happened?"

Pandora raised an eyebrow, guiding us off to the side. "I should ask the same thing to you," she responded before lowering her voice even more. "Did you find Clint?"

I shook my head. "I know how to fix things," I said before my gaze shifted over to Loki's. "Well, at least to a point."

"You diverted Maria away?" questioned Pandora, not truly believing me.

I didn't blame her.

"We didn't even see any of Loki's puppets," I reassured her.

"Good."

Still, I could sense how on edge Pandora was. She was acting calm, but I knew her well enough to tell what was happening beneath the surface. We were wired like that.

"Are you alright?" I finally asked.

Her eyes snapped back to mine, just hearing my words. "I mean, getting thrown ten feet onto a street isn't the greatest time," she said, reverting back to her sarcastic self. I was not about to ignore her trauma.

"Dora," I said sternly. "You have to be careful. I know this is your job now, but-"

She didn't let me finish. "I know what I'm getting myself into," she snapped. "I just wish everyone would stop treating me like a child."

"Because you are!"

To be fair, I was always her protective older sister that she never had. That wasn't going to stop just because we were in another universe. It certainly wasn't going to stop now that she signed on to be a SHIELD agent.

"I didn't ask for your opinion," was all Pandora said before she stalked after Steve towards the Quinjet.

I heaved a large sigh, following Maria back to the Quinjet that we had arrived in. However, much to my displeasure, we had two more companions.

"Oh, hell no," I said, stopping dead in my tracks when I laid eyes on the two people I definitely didn't want to see right now.

Tony was pacing around the body of the Quinjet while Loki sat in silence, staring at me with his signature smirk on his face. This was most definitely not what I wanted or needed today.

"It's your fault that we're in this situation to begin with," Tony pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

I shot him a glare. "Can you not be snarky for two seconds?" I snapped.

"It's in my personality profile."

"I wrote your personality profile."

If Tony wanted to continue the argument, Maria didn't give him the chance. She walked onto the Helicarrier, sending a pointed glance in Loki's direction as she headed towards the front of the plane.

"Don't make me regret this," was all she said as she settled into the pilot's seat, bringing the Quinjet back to life.

I knew she was slightly frustrated with me from the way I had diverted her away from where Clint's plan was going down. However, that was the least of my concerns. I was just hoping that we were going to make it through this plane ride without killing one another. That was going to be a miracle.

"Director?" I heard Maria call back to the Helicarrier via intercom.

"He saying anything?" Fury's electronic voice responded almost immediately.

"Not a word."

"You find anything else?"

There was a slight pause, causing my heart rate to increase. If Maria had caught onto my plan, I was screwed. "If there was anything else, they cleared out by the time Emerald and I got there," she finally said, and I let out a breath of relief.

"Just get him back here," Fury said. "We're low on time."

If only they knew just how true that was.

"Buckle up!" Maria called over her shoulder towards us.

I lowered my gaze to the ground, trying my hardest to ignore the two sets of eyes burning holes into my skull. After we had already taken off and the staring didn't cease, I knew I couldn't ignore it any longer.

"If you two could not stare at me, that would be fantastic," I commented, not caring at how tense my voice sounded. I paused as both Tony and Loki didn't say a word from where they were sitting across from me. "I'm with Maria on this one. I'm definitely regretting this."

I glanced up, sending an equally narrowing gaze towards Tony. He merely held his hands up in the air.

"Hey now, I was just wondering if you'd like to interrogate the witness since you already spent quality time with Rock of Ages here."

"Can you shut up, please?" I retorted. "Maybe for like a minute? I actually want to see if it's possible."

Tony gave up on working me and instead turned over to Loki. I squinted towards the pilot seat where Maria was flying the plane, praying that she wasn't hearing any of this conversation. Tony gave one last smirk in my direction before he squatted Loki's shoulder.

Wincing, I knew he was about to make a grave mistake.

"Say, why did you give up so easily?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice. He waited a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders. "Nothing, huh? Maybe he has a crush on you, Em."

I rolled my eyes, leaning my head back against the plane and pretending that I was anywhere but here right now. "Frost Giants don't have emotions," I said coolly.

Tony finally lapsed into silence after unsuccessfully riling up both Loki and me. I sat there, letting my eyes close for a moment.

I had a feeling that Tony wasn't even mad at me anymore. From what Pandora was insinuating earlier, he almost had a jealous tone to him. I couldn't think about that. All I was trying to do was make a name for myself and not screw anything else up. So far, so good.

I shouldn't have even considered those thoughts.

A lightning bolt struck just slightly to the side of our plane, jostling us around as the thunder rolled through the sky. I knew what was coming, of course, and so did Loki, judging by the way that he leaned forward apprehensively.

Tony noticed his change in demeanor almost instantly. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Scared of a little lightning?"

Loki tilted his head to one side, wordlessly warning us of what was coming next. "I'm not overly fond of what follows," he said slowly, not looking any of us in the eyes.

A thud hit the roof of the Quinjet, alerting all of us to the new issue at hand. I unbuckled at the same rapid speed that Tony did, jumping to my feet. While I knew the "hostile" on the roof was one of us, I recalled that my favorite God of Thunder wasn't very friendly at first.

"We've got bigger problems," Maria shouted from the pilot's seat.

In another second, Tony reassembled his suit around him, hitting the button to open the backdoor of the Quinjet. I, on the other hand, was almost blown backwards by the gust of wind jostling around the plane.

"What the hell are you doing!" I screeched, covering my face from the winds.

My question was never answered.

Thor landed in the body of the plane a moment later, ripping Loki out of his confinements. Tony made a single move to apprehend the blond god before Thor swung his hammer, knocking Tony to the side. Another second passed, and Thor had Loki in his clutches, flying out of the plane and back into the clouds.

"And now there's that guy," Tony said with a groan as he got back to his feet.

Maria quickly glanced over her shoulder at us in the midst of trying to steady the plane in the storm. "Another Asgardian?" she questioned loudly.

"He looks like the friendly one," I tried to offer.

"Doesn't matter," Tony retorted. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."

I still had to shout over the roar of the winds from the open backdoor of the Quinjet. "Call Nat's Quinjet!" I directed my cry towards Maria. "We need backup on this one."

"No time," Tony said. "There's only one plan here, and that's to attack."

He didn't even look in my direction before he flew out of the plane to find where Thor had taken Loki. I outwardly groaned, running my fingers through my hair. I certainly wasn't going to just stand by.

I glanced around the plane, searching for something that would be able to help me in this scenario. After finding a single use parachute, I knew this was going to be my only option.

I had never enjoyed planes, let alone jumping out of them. There was definitely a first for everything, even after months of terrorist fighting.

"I'd sit this one out," Maria warned me.

I shook my head. "Are you for real?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in disbelief.

"These guys come from legends. They're practically gods."

She wasn't wrong there.

I yanked the parachute backpack on, securing it around my waist tightly as I tried not to think about my sudden adrenaline spike. Conquering fears was a good thing, or so I attempted to convince myself.

A smile crossed my face as I realized what line would normally come next in the film. Only this time, Steve wasn't around to say it.

"There's only one God," I recited from memory, standing at the edge of the plane and staring into the clouds.

"And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."


	26. Chapter 26

**VALENCIA**

I was never much of a sprinter.

In fact, I typically did my best to avoid all forms of running. When Emerald and I were in high school gym class together, we would actively make ourselves hidden from view rather than face the wrath of the teacher. The memories of my former friend stung like a fresh wound, and I tried my hardest to push them away.

Things were different now.

I trained for months on Asgard and had gotten stronger than any high school gym class would have taught me. That was an advantage I had over Emerald, at least. I was a stronger woman with the ability to wield almost any weapon at my disposal. I doubted either of my other friends could say that.

Still, I found myself jogging rather than running to meet up with my favorite archer at the moment. I had to suppress the memories for now. I had a mission to complete.

I laid eyes on Clint almost immediately, having tracked his whereabouts several times throughout the course of the evening. When he saw me, he stopped in his tracks, letting his companions run ahead of him back to where our ride was waiting.

"Did you get it?" I questioned when I was close enough not to shout.

Clint made a face towards me. "How little faith you have in me," he said starchily. "I've got everything the Doc needs."

I stared at him in the eyes, reading the words that he wasn't saying out loud. I could tell he had questions about Loki and me, but I wasn't sure I had the answers he was looking for. He mostly just wanted to know if he could still trust me.

The words never appeared from his lips.

I nodded with my head to where the others were jogging back towards the exit plan. "You know the way back?" I asked again, tilting my head to one side.

My blonde hair fell in my face, and I blew against it to set it back into place. I wasn't used to wearing my hair down anymore, not since the braid I adopted on Asgard stuck with me. It was more practical when fighting, anyway.

Today, however, all I wanted was to get out of this dress and back into my own sensible wear.

"And where is your Highness going?"

I almost missed Clint's snarky comment as I daydreamed about clothes. I was losing my mind already without Loki at my side.

"I have to catch up with an old friend," I said in the calmest tone I could imagine. "But don't worry. I'll find my own way back."

"How long should I wait before I should get worried?" Clint questioned, although we both knew there was no stopping me.

I turned away from the archer, shaking my head with a tiny smile. It was nice to have people worry about me, for once. "If you wait for me, you're already dead," I commented without looking back.

When I reached a feasible distance from the opera house, I pulled out my burner phone, immediately turning it onto the tracker that I placed on Loki. Right before I left him inside, I slipped the small device into his coat pocket, hoping that I would see him sooner than the movies allowed.

However, when I caught a glimpse of the Avengers in the area, my suspicions that I wasn't the only one who moved up the timeline were confirmed. As if on cue, Pandora and Emerald both appeared in my vision, looking a lot more frazzled than I remembered. That, at least, helped my anxiety.

I didn't have time for reunions today, though.

If the Avengers had taken Loki as his plan anticipated, then there was only one thing left to do.

I tracked the location of Loki towards a mountain not a mile from where Stuttgart was located. I breathed out a sigh of relief as the familiar shape of the boulders crossed my vision. Worriment crossed my mind earlier as I thought about how Odin planned to send Thor to Earth. I considered the possibility that he used the last of his magic on me.

Nonetheless, I could hear the god of thunder's booming voice before I could finish scaling the side of the rocks.

"Where is the Tesseract?" I overheard Thor's familiar scold. "Where is Lady Valencia? What have you done, brother?"

I hauled myself up the last of the notches on the side of the mountain, silently thanking Sif and the Warriors Three for training me so harshly. If someone asked me to pull myself up a mountain a year ago, I would have laughed in their face.

"Oh ho, I have missed you too."

A smile crossed my face at the sound of Loki's voice, reminding me of just how far I had come since arriving in this new universe. When I rounded the corner, standing directly behind Thor, I knew that I was in the right place.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" bellowed Thor.

"You always were one for a game, Thor."

As I finally spoke, both gods spun around to look at me, one meeting my gaze with satisfaction and the other with despair.

"Lady Valencia," Thor announced quietly. "What has happened to you? Why-"

I held one hand in the air to silence Thor before he rambled any further. "I'm not going to bother trying to explain it," I said. "I chose my side. I follow my own rules now."

"And those rules involve this madness?" he questioned, the shock not fading from his face.

"I'm stronger than you expected," I said coolly.

Loki laughed dryly, directing the attention back to him. "You should be thanking me," he commented. "With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here, for the second I presume?"

"I thought you dead until Lady Valencia believed otherwise," Thor responded. "It was why she was sent to Midgard in the first place."

"And that worked out so wonderfully for you, did it not."

He was provoking a beast. I knew Thor was about to snap.

I took a step towards the two brothers, sending a warning gaze in Loki's direction. "Loki," I cautioned, sensing the tension growing in the air.

"You should not be here."

Loki's gaze shifted past Thor's to land on mine sympathetically. I knew he didn't want me here for this part, but to be fair, I didn't really give him much of a choice.

"I shouldn't be a lot of places, and yet, here I am," I said, allowing a shadow of a smile to cross his face.

Thor still shook his head. "What has happened to you?" he asked, and to be honest, I wasn't quite sure who he was asking.

"I realized what I was," Loki said, saving me from the long story I would have to explain. "Not what I had become but what I already was. A shadow, living in the shade of your greatness, tossed into an abyss. I'm the should-be King, and I will claim my throne."

"So, you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?"

While I wasn't completely sure what Thor had just said, I knew that he was blaming Loki for things that hadn't even occurred yet.

"It's not your world."

Thor turned around in surprise at my bold statement, and I wondered if he had forgotten that I was still standing there. Loki too crinkled his forehead, wondering where I was going with this.

"It's not your world," I repeated myself. "It's mine. You may claim to love it, but it will never be yours. This is my world, Thor, and I will be its Queen."

"Midgard is under my protection."

A low cackle emitted from in between Loki's lips. "And you are doing a marvelous job with that," he commented in between giving a look of admiration towards me. I certainly took that in stride. "The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. We mean to rule them, and why should we not?" He sent an apologetic look at me as he spoke ill about my people.

I wasn't offended. Humans were terrible.

"You think yourself above them?" Thor asked, testing Loki's sore spots. He gestured towards me next. "Above her?"

Loki paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. I, too, was curious to see what his response was.

"Valencia is different."

I raised my eyebrows, not sure what I was expecting. It certainly wasn't a claim of adoration, but that wasn't Loki's style.

Thor wasn't going to give up so easily, however. "And how is she different?" he inquired. "She is mortal, just like the rest of them. You will lose her one day, brother, and-"

I could see the rage appearing on Loki's face, and I stepped forward, both literally and figuratively. I wasn't going to just stand there and let the two brothers argue about me as if I wasn't even there.

"I'm not the bargaining chip here," I defended myself before Loki could get another word in. "I'm not the piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit."

That much was true. I had been in that position almost my entire life, and I knew what it felt like. That was not now.

"Then what is?" Thor exclaimed. "You're missing the truth about ruling. The thrones would suit the both of you ill, and I am ashamed, especially of you Lady Valencia."

Okay, that stung a little.

"This was my choice!" I cried. "I finally made a decision for once in my life, and it feels right, no matter how wrong you might assume it to be. That is certainly more than you can say about yourself, Thor."

"I beg your pardon?"

I shrugged my shoulders. This was going to get ugly.

"Every day of your life, you've followed your father's orders. The biggest risk of your life was to chase after an army of Frost Giants. You started a war, and so are we. At least we're doing it for the right reasons. You should be happy that we found each other, that we're happy."

Thor took a threatening step towards me, and it took everything I had to hold my ground. He was done intimidating me.

"That is not true!" he bellowed. "Give up this poisonous dream! You listen here, the both of you-"

I knew what was happening next, but I still jumped a foot in the air when a flash of red and gold flew past my vision. In a split second, Tony barreled straight into Thor, knocking him off of the mountain and into the forest below. I tilted my head to one side, mocking the god of thunder, as my heart continued to pound in my ears.

"I'm listening," said Loki coolly, a smirk crossing his face once more.

I let out a loud exhale, running my hands through my hair. Thor's words had hurt more than I cared to admit, but I shoved them aside for now. I had a mission to complete, and I wasn't about to ruin it for a few hurt feelings. I was stronger now.

Loki hadn't moved from his position on the rocks either, but I could feel his eyes watching my every movement. When I finally looked up to meet his gaze, he shook his head in awe.

"You are the most exquisite person I have ever met."

I was not expecting that.

Blushing, I tried to contain myself as I dropped my gaze to the ground. "I have a feeling that is a great compliment coming from you," I retorted sarcastically, but a smile still crossed my features. He just had that effect on me.

"Having the courage to say what you just did," Loki continued as if I hadn't spoken. "To defend me like you have, that has never happened to me before. No one has defended me before."

Whether that was the truth or not, I didn't care. For once, he was showing vulnerability. He was actually letting me in.

That was all I ever wanted.

I didn't hesitate to close the gap between us, kissing him deeply. As much as I never wanted this moment to end, I knew we both had separate paths to go. I pulled away slowly, resting one hand on his cheek.

"I would do it a thousand times over," I promised before I let my hand fall back to my side.

I held Loki's gaze for a second longer with a sad smile as he continued to stare at me curiously. Still, I couldn't help but smile as I turned away from the god, descending down the mountain the way I came.


	27. Chapter 27

**PANDORA**

I knew the peace was too good to be true.

My eyes had just closed themselves as I leaned my head back against the side of the Quinjet, looking for some time to myself. Between Steve and Emerald's constant worriment over me, I just wanted a second to breathe and assess my internal self first.

Natasha's voice split through my dark vision, however, causing me to jolt myself back to the reality around me.

"There's an SOS from Maria's Quinjet," the agent called over her shoulder. "Apparently, someone took Loki."

Steve's gaze shot over to mine, his concern growing by the second. He got to his feet in a hurry, yanking his helmet back on.

"Who took Loki?" I decided to ask, seeing as how I wasn't actually supposed to know anything about this situation.

Natasha shrugged her shoulders. "They didn't say."

Steve already made his way over to the back of the plane, hitting the button to let the winds roll through the aircraft. "And where are they?" he questioned almost immediately after.

"From the looks of it, somewhere right below..." she paused, hitting more buttons on the panel in front of her. "Here." She hesitated, watching Steve grab a parachute backpack from underneath his seat. "Stark and Emerald already headed down to take care of the situation, but I wouldn't trust those two alone if my life depended on it."

"Point taken," I voiced aloud.

I wished more than anything that I could rewind time back to when it was just me, Emerald, Steve and Tony playing innocent board games at Stark Tower.

As Steve strapped himself into the parachute backpack once more, inching closer and closer to the drop zone, another realization dawned on me.

"Shit," I swore, shaking my head. "We're going to have to do this again, aren't we?"

"What did I say about your language?" scolded Steve, but I could detect the hint of a smile on his face. It felt good to banter again and even better to actually smile.

The smile only lasted for a few seconds. Steve jumped out of the plane without even looking, diving towards the ground to find where Tony and Emerald had gotten off to. This time, Tony wasn't around to physically push me out of the plane. I had to do this one all by myself.

"Yeah yeah yeah Grandpa," I muttered under my breath towards Steve's comment. "I got it."

I finished slinging on my parachute, forcing myself to step closer to the edge. A part of me just wanted to turn right back around and wait for them to return, but I knew Natasha was watching me. I had to impress at least someone around here.

"Here goes nothing," I said with a loud sigh, covering my eyes with one hand as I casually took an extra step and fell into the air.

The first time I had done this, I hadn't felt the wind rush around my body as it did now, enveloping me into a hurried hug. However, I didn't dare open my eyes as I counted down the seconds until I had to pull the parachute.

Spotting Steve's scattered parachute on the ground, I released myself from its confinements a few feet from the ground, rolling onto the dirt below me. It didn't take me long to find the others as I followed the sound of elevated shouts, mostly coming from Thor.

I appeared through the trees next to Steve just as he was holding his shield up towards the god.

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!" Thor was announcing, glancing between all three of us now.

It was only slightly jarring to see the blond god in the flesh. After all of the characters that I had already met, this was just another inevitability.

"Then prove it," Steve commented, still holding his shield in the air. "Put the hammer down."

Tony shook his head. "Uh yeah no," he interjected. "Bad call. He loves his hammer."

Thor barely let Tony finish his sarcastic complaints before he smacked his hammer into the side of the Iron Man armor, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. However, I barely flinched.

"He probably deserved that," I pointed out with a shrug.

If anyone heard me, it didn't register.

Thor, on the other hand, was getting irater by the second, his face scrunching up with rage. I exchanged a slightly worried glance with Steve. While he may have super strength, I knew that one hit from the hammer would definitely hospitalize me.

Thor continued to swing the hammer in circles as he slowly walked towards us. "You want me to put the hammer down?" he bellowed, allowing the hammer to elevate him in the air.

I groaned, taking a few steps away from Steve as he held his shield in front of his face for protection. "Ah shit," I swore, watching the scene unfold in front of me. "Heads up."

The clang of the hammer hitting the vibranium of Steve's shield rang through my ears as the force of the connection flung us all backwards. My back threatened to give out for the second time today as it smacked against the grass. It was still softer than concrete, I reminded myself.

I got to my feet slowly, shaking my head to make sure I didn't have any lasting damage. "Well," I muttered. "That was exciting."

Tony ambled back over to our side, holding his hands out towards Thor as he prepared to blast the god again. Steve and I, however, just looked really tired.

"Are we done here?" Steve asked with a sigh.

Thor picked up his hammer from the ground, looking disgruntled but less angry than before. I glanced around, looking for some sign of my other friend, but I came up empty.

"Where's Em this time?" I finally voiced aloud.

As I earned Tony's glare on my back, I realized I probably should have kept my thoughts to myself. Those thoughts only grew stronger as I laid eyes on Emerald herself, stumbling into the clearing with Loki in tow.

"Making sure this one didn't escape," she commented, hearing my question from a minute prior. "That's the last thing we need right now."

I wasn't sure how Emerald knew exactly where Loki was, but I wasn't about to question it. I already knew Tony would do that for me.

Sure enough, I found that his narrowed gaze was now trained on Emerald. Emerald caught the dirty look, rolling his eyes as she tightened her grip on Loki's arm.

As Tony sauntered past me, his helmet flipped up to reveal his annoyed expression, I grabbed his arm. "You do realize that the more you aggravate her, the less she's going to want to forgive you," I stated.

"I'm making a point."

"No," I snapped, keeping my voice low. "You're being ignorant." I shrugged my shoulders, letting go of his armor reluctantly. "I'm just trying to save…" I paused. "Whatever it is that you two have. You don't see it every day."

I didn't even wait for anyone when I walked back to the Quinjet alone. I needed to be alone.

When we returned to the Helicarrier, I confined myself to my room for an hour as I taped up my wounds from the fight in Germany. Focusing on one task helped my mind stay in the present instead of wandering to the other thousand things I had tucked in there. There was too much drama going on right now.

By the time I walked back into the main area of the Helicarrier, I had missed most of the excitement. Judging from the dejected look on Thor's face and the far-off gaze in Emerald's, I knew I missed Loki's speech to Fury.

"Sorry, I missed the villain monologue," I announced my arrival, juggling a water bottle in between my hands. "Was it anything exciting?"

I smirked as I unscrewed the lid of the water bottle, sipping it gently to express my disquiet about the whole situation.

"He really grows on you," Bruce commented, not looking up from the live feed of where Loki was trapped in his cell.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"One thing is for sure," Steve said as I took a seat next to him. "He's going to drag this out. So, Thor, what's his plan?"

Thor turned around from where he was staring, his arms crossed over his chest. "He has an army called the Chitari," he finally said. "They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army from outer space?"

I sensed the disbelief lacing Steve's voice, and I knew that he had no idea what he was getting himself into. There was a lot of things he had no idea were coming his way. I, for one, was getting nervous about his reaction to the invasion.

To offset the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, however, I simply took another sip of my water and nudged Steve in the side.

"Keeps getting better, doesn't it?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood as best as I could.

I didn't earn a response.

"So, he's building another portal then," Bruce commented. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

Thor's attention snapped over to the doctor in an instant. "Selvig?" he inquired.

"He's an astrophysicist," Bruce offered.

"He is a friend."

Natasha ran her hand through her short locks, heaving a small sigh. "Loki has them under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," she commented, not meeting anyone's eyes.

For the first time, I wondered how deep Valencia was in all of this and why she hadn't contacted us sooner. I tried not to let betrayal flood my emotions as I sat there, listening.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him," Steve pointed out, to which I forced myself to keep my mouth shut. One pointed glance from Emerald, and I knew she was on the same page. "He's not leading an army from down there."

"He wasn't putting up much of a fight when I found him earlier," Emerald interjected.

I raised an eyebrow, reminding myself to question her about that later. Something was going on between her and Loki, and I wasn't a fan. I only hoped it boiled down to the fact that she still felt the betrayal sting her heart.

"And he was alone?" Thor questioned again before I could think too hard.

Emerald frowned, tilting her head to one side. "Yes."

"There was a woman with him earlier," he continued. "Valencia-"

"Flint," I blurted out without thinking. I paused as all eyes in the room turned on me. "Sorry, she just used to be my friend before she went kind of crazy."

Emerald leaned further back in her chair, letting one arm rest across the back of the seat. "She was there when you took Loki?" she asked the god. "She must have been in Germany then, too." She shook her head, glancing over to where Maria was standing. "How did we not see her?"

I, too, was kicking myself for not finding her either. I wanted to see the look on her face when I told her about herself.

"We covered a lot of territory," Maria reassured Emerald. "She could have been anywhere."

"She has proven to be just as dangerous as he is," Thor added.

I heaved a large sigh, not wanting to believe all of this about my friend. "He's right," I still answered, exchanging a worried glance with Emerald. "I don't think we should be focusing on Loki here."

Emerald tilted her head to one side at my bold accusation. I knew she wanted to save Valencia from herself, but if I was being honest, Valencia doomed herself. Whatever was coming next would be on her own shoulders.

Bruce nodded in agreement, saving Emerald from saying something tricky. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats," he said, referring to Loki. "You can smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor declared. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother."

Natasha raised her eyebrow. "He killed eighty people in two days," she offered.

"He's… adopted."

I resisted a chuckle, practically biting my own tongue to do so, as I knew it probably wouldn't go over well with this crowd.

"I think it's about the mechanics," Bruce input, changing the subject away from the Odinson family history.

"Iridium was taken right under our noses," Maria said.

Emerald groaned in response, covering her face with one hand. "This is what we wanted to prevent," she cried.

"We did everything we could," Steve tried to reassure her, but I knew she wasn't going to listen to him. The only person she might listen to right now was me, and that was only because I knew what was happening next.

I had to say, I didn't miss Emerald's stubbornness.

"Maybe it wasn't enough," Emerald snapped back at Steve, verifying my previous thoughts.

Bruce stood up, putting himself back in the conversation away from the sudden tension. "Iridium," he offered. "What do they need it for?"

At that exact moment, however, the automatic door buzzed open, announcing someone's arrival. Judging from the way that Emerald looked down at the non-existent papers in front of her on the table, I could only guess it was Tony.

"It's a stabilizing agent," he announced not two seconds later.

Tony sauntered into the room alongside Phil Coulson of all people, his arm slung over the agent's shoulder. Based on the uncomfortable look across Phil's face, I knew he would rather have Steve's arm slung around his shoulder instead.

"Lovely," I muttered under my breath, half-hoping Tony heard me. "Now the party can start."

If we could make it through these next few hours without any murdering one another, it was going to be a miracle.


	28. Chapter 28

**EMERALD**

From the moment Tony walked in the room, I felt the air deplete from my lungs. Pandora was giving me the most sympathetic glance she could muster, but I wasn't in the mood for pity. I just wanted things to go back to the way that they used to be, before I ruined everything.

I had a lot of apologies to make.

"It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD," Tony continued to explain, making his way to the front of the room. He turned to Thor, patting him on the arm. "No hard feelings, Point Break, you got a mean swing," he said before pivoting back on the spot to face the rest of us. "It also means the portal can open as wide and long as Loki wants."

I ran my hands through my hair as he spoke, wondering what I had done that caused us to feud like this. He was in no position to judge me.

"That man is playing Galaga!" Tony exclaimed out of nowhere, pointing to a random SHIELD agent on his computer. "Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

Pandora shook her head in disbelief. "How the hell do you work for him?" she asked me.

"A lot of patience."

When he wasn't being arrogant, he actually was a pretty decent boss. I definitely have had worse.

Tony covered one eye as he stared at the agents around us, working diligently to track down any connections to the god captured in our midst.

"How does Fury even see these?" he questioned, gesturing to the panels around him as he stood on the mast of the ship.

"He turns," Maria answered in the most annoyed tone of voice she could muster. I had to admit, it did bring a small smile to my face.

"Sounds exhausting."

Tony turned around, letting his gaze rest on mine inquisitively for a moment before he panned around the room. I half-wondered if someone finally said something to him based on the way I hadn't received any snarky comments yet.

"The rest of the raw materials Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily," he continued. "The only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density, something to kick start the Cube." He clapped his hands together.

Maria raised a careful eyebrow. "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" she questioned.

"Two nights ago, I didn't sleep much," he said, causing my face to immediately flush. That was the night that everything went to shit. For the first time, I wondered if his anger stemmed from his concern for me.

I knew the pain people went through when they were waiting for someone to come home, only to find out that they were never coming home. Shame washed through my system as the horrible thought of Tony waiting for me flooded my brain. I was an idiot.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked, snapping my attention back to the terrorist plot at hand.

Bruce stepped forward, shaking his head. "He'd have to heat the Cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," he responded.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the Quantum Tunneling effect," Tony added.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

A genuine smile appeared on Tony's face as he slung an arm around Bruce's shoulder. "I love this guy, seriously," he said. "He's the only one around here that speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Pandora blurted out, her eyes glazed over in confusion.

Bruce shook his head again, sporting a sheepish grin echoing Tony's. "You're not too shabby yourself," he said.

"So, where do we start?" I finally spoke up, leaning forward in my seat. "Or continue, I guess. I'm not sure how far you guys got."

"I'd start with that stick of his," Steve put in. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon."

Maria made a curious face at Steve's subtle accusation. "I don't know about that," she commented, "but it is powered by the Cube."

Natasha tilted her head to one side, inserting her own opinion about the situation for the first time. "I'd just like to know how Loki used it to turn two of SHIELD's best agents into his personal flying monkeys," she said.

"Monkeys?" Thor asked, frowning. "I do not understand."

"I do!" Steve exclaimed, excitement shining on his face as he held up a finger. "I… I understood that reference."

Pandora let out a bark of a laugh, clapping a hand proudly on Steve's shoulder. "There you go, buddy," she said before she leaned back in her chair once more.

Tony, however, was ignoring everyone in the room but Bruce. "Come on Doctor," he said, guiding Bruce out of the room. "Shall we play?"

I got to my feet next, my insides squirming with apprehension about what was going to happen next. The least I could do was start with one apology.

"Dora?" I asked. "A word?"

I didn't wait to see if she followed me out of the room until I reached an abandoned hallway not far from the main area of the Helicarrier.

"What's up?" I heard from behind me.

I spun around, my hands still shaking from the revelations I had been through in the past few days, laying my eyes on my red-haired friend.

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I started to apologize. "I didn't mean what I said, earlier in Germany.." I trailed off, not really sure where I was going with my expression of regret.

Luckily, I didn't have to think that far.

Pandora pulled me into a tight hug seconds later, squeezing my chest against hers. As much as I hated to admit it, it was exactly what I needed. I only wished Valencia was here too.

"I could never be mad at you for long," she whispered against my hair. "If you're not strong and trying to protect everyone, then who will?"

Pulling away, I heaved a loud sigh, letting out a breath I hadn't known I was holding in. "If only Tony could see that," I pointed out.

"He'll come around," Pandora said. "He's giving you a hard time because he doesn't want to see you get hurt either."

I paused, speculating if I should question Pandora if she had spoken to Tony. I shoved the question down my throat a second later. It didn't matter who had. I knew Pandora had my back.

"I just wish he had a better way of expressing himself."

Pandora threw me an incredulous glance, and I couldn't help but laugh. "He's Tony Stark," she said. "What else would you expect?"

She was right. I had to pull myself together.

Staring into my friend's eyes, the realization engulfed my body that I wasn't in this alone. If I was an Avenger, so was Pandora. One way or another, we would save Valencia, too.

"Speaking of," I commented, breaking the moment. "I don't trust him alone with anyone for more than ten minutes."

Pandora rolled her eyes, assuming I was being dramatic. "Oh come on," she said. "How much trouble can he get up to with Bruce?"

I poked my head back in the direction of the main area of the Helicarrier, seeing who was still in the room that we had left. There was one person missing.

"Where's Steve?" I asked.

"Shit," Pandora swore, grabbing my hand. "Let's go."

When we finally made our way into the laboratory of the Helicarrier, we were too late to stop the latest argument between Steve and Tony. A part of me was glad that we hadn't screwed up the way their relationship was supposed to play out from the movie, but another part of me wished we had been more help to soften all of the blows.

It wasn't my place anymore, I had to remind myself.

"You need to focus on the problem, Mister Stark," Steve was snapping when we burst through the automatic door.

"You think I'm not?" Tony retorted. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now, why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all of the variables."

Pandora physically inserted herself between the two Avengers, sticking out her hands to separate them. "Boys!" she exclaimed. "Let's take a time out."

I, however, had been mulling over Tony's words. He was right. It was the whole reason I resigned from assisting the director in the first place.

"Wait," I said, taking a step towards Tony. "You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy, Em," he answered matter-of-factly. "He's the ultimate spy. His secrets have secrets." He gestured to Bruce standing next to him. "It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

Bruce held his hands up in the air, avoiding the question. "Ah, I just want to finish my work here and-"

I cut him off almost immediately. "No, what do you know?" I asked, tilting my head to one side.

I was trying my hardest to ignore the pounding in my heart as I wondered if Fury kept any record of my files I sent him. That was going to be nasty if either Bruce or Tony discovered those.

"A warm light for all mankind," Bruce commented, quoting Loki from his speech. "Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube. I think that was meant for you." He gestured with a wrench towards Tony.

I nodded slowly. "Stark Tower," I added. "What could he possibly want the tower for?"

"Wrong angle," Tony replied. "We use clean energy, self-sustaining energy to be exact."

"So why didn't SHIELD bring Tony in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce wondered aloud, making his point loud and clear. "What is SHIELD even doing in the energy business in the first place?"

Tony nodded in agreement. "I should probably look into that as soon as my decryption program finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files," he responded.

That was definitely going to be a problem.

"What!" Pandora exclaimed, obviously forgetting this part of the movie.

Tony pursed his lips together, turning away from Pandora. "Shit, I forgot Ginger was an agent now," he muttered.

"That doesn't matter," Pandora protested. "I'm just as suspicious of Fury as you are."

"JARVIS has been running it since I hit the bridge," Tony added. "In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide."

Steve laughed dryly. "Yet, you're confused about why they didn't want you around."

"It's not about that," I said, trying my hardest to defend Tony when all I really wanted to do was pull the plug on Tony's decryption key. "It's about trying to figure out what Fury's hiding. What exactly does your file pull up?" I turned to Tony, trying my hardest not to express how much I was interested in this.

He paused, tilting his head to one side, and for a second, I wondered if he was already onto me. I couldn't get paranoid now.

"Everything is everything, Em," he still stated. "Emails, text messages, notes passed in class. Not everyone can keep secrets as well as some of us."

I nodded slowly, getting the hint. He wasn't upset because of what I had done. He was upset because I hadn't trusted him with the truth.

"There are some things people just have to do alone," I pointed out through narrowed eyes before I turned and exited the room the way I came.

I had a feeling that I was about to have a very large problem on my hands.


	29. Chapter 29

**VALENCIA**

"Welcome back."

I had to admit, I wasn't expecting a very warm welcome back at the headquarters. I knew that they feared me, but I was no Loki. I was following orders from him, just like they were. It was up to me to make sure that nothing else fell through the cracks.

There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but I was loving it.

Clint Barton, of all people, was standing in the doorway of our warehouse, clapping his hands together slowly. I knew he grew concerned when I switched the plan on him at the last minute back in Stuttgart, but I had to see Thor at least once before the war begun. I felt that I owed him that much.

I grinned as I sauntered closer to the archer, tilting my head to one side. "Were you getting worried about me now?" I teased.

"Never," he said with a smirk. "My Queen specifically told me not to."

I shook my head down, heading straight into my makeshift bedroom. I needed to get out of this dress before it suffocated me. "I have a name, you know," I tossed the comment over my shoulder.

Clint followed me into the room, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. "It's more fun to tease you," he said.

"Naturally."

I shrugged my way out of my dress, letting it pool at my feet as I stepped around it. I yanked on a pair of black jeans and my usual long sleeve, pulling the latter over my head as I turned back around to face Clint. He had one eyebrow raised, but I ignored it.

Now that I was involved with Loki, I knew no one would dare mess with me.

"Do you really think this plan will work?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Even as I sat there, braiding my hair and kicking off my high heels, Clint didn't even budge. I chalked it up to Loki's spell, knowing how the archer usually reacted from the movies.

"What's the outcome?" he answered my question with another answer.

"There is none," I said. "We already have the Tesseract, and Selvig has been working night and day on stabilizing it. We don't need anything else."

"Except something to take the enemy down."

I shook my head warningly. "Something tells me that it's only going to fuel the fire," I commented, my mind going back to the looks on Emerald and Pandora's faces when I caught a glimpse of them on Stuttgart. They were not prepared for any of this.

"Loki's a leader, for sure," Clint said, moving his way over to the bed and sitting next to me. "But he's hot headed. He was the distraction, and he served his purpose. He could have gotten out of there without getting captured, but he had to put together this elaborate plan to take down these so-called superheroes. He didn't have to do that." He paused. "He wants to show the world… prove to the world that he is their leader by destroying the world's only hope."

Color me shocked.

"Power isn't necessarily a bad thing," I commented.

"Unless it goes to one's head."

I got my feet, tying up the last of my hair in my usual braid. "Are you doubting him?" I inquired, afraid of what the answer would be.

"No," Clint said slowly, not moving from where he sat. "I'm just concerned with where his mind is going."

I bit my tongue to keep from smirking. "That's ironic," I mumbled under my breath, making sure he didn't hear me.

"At this rate," he continued. "He won't need SHIELD or anyone else to defeat him. All he'll need to do is take one step off of the ledge, and his pride will eat him alive."

I wasn't sure where these bold accusations came from, but this was exactly what I was worried about.

"That's why I'm around," I retorted.

Clint shook his head. "Nah, you're just a pet," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I like you. I was wary of you, but you were hot-headed yourself. You're going to prove to be as much of a problem as he is, and when he realizes this, he'll toss you on the streets."

I tried my hardest not to show the insecurities that were building up in the pit of my stomach. This was the way I felt around Emerald and Pandora growing up, and I wasn't about to relive that again. Loki was different.

I folded my arms across my chest as I attempted to push my apprehension down. "Did he tell you this?" I asked.

"He didn't need to."

I sighed. I wasn't sure if he was trying to protect me or warn me, but I wasn't about to let a simple piece of advice throw a wrench into my feelings, especially not when I knew Loki had opened up to me earlier.

"If you think that he's going to leave me, you're wrong," I stated. "I'm different. I'm like him."

Clint let out a small chuckle, unable to help himself. I, on the other hand, only raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I don't want to demand your respect," I added coolly.

"But you will," he retorted immediately. "You will because you're right. You're exactly like him. Maybe a bit more right in the head, but you're losing that the longer you stay around him. And when the time comes, you're going to regret that. It may be tomorrow, it may be two years, ten years, but it will happen."

"The only thing I regret is trusting those that aren't loyal."

I gave Clint a lot of credit.

Despite my harsh words, he barely moved a muscle as he stood there, staring me down. I narrowed my gaze as he tried to see right through me. I had mastered hiding my emotions by now.

"Is that a threat?" he finally asked.

"No."

He didn't let his gaze drop from mine until I let out a sigh. I played with the end of my braid as I moved away from him and further into the room. "I wasn't referring to you," I explained. "I didn't have the best time in my past. It took me awhile to realize what I had wasn't necessarily-"

"I don't need to hear your sob story."

My head snapped back over to the archer in surprise as he cut him off. I opened my mouth to retort, but he wasn't done yet.

"I'm not judging you based on your past," he added, his tone softening slightly. "I'm judging you based on what you do with your life now." He paused for a second, making his way over to the doorframe once more. "You're a good person, Val. I just don't want to see you make decisions that you're not capable of making."

A sad smile crossed my face as I realized that in this moment, he was actually concerned about me. I, on the other hand, was more worried about him.

"I'm going to miss you, Clint," I said, unable to help myself.

He frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

If only he knew what was in store for him.

I only hoped that after all of this was over, he would see that I was trying to do right by him and for myself. I hoped that he would remember this.

"You're loyal until the end," I said sadly. "I just meant that whenever this is all over, if anything should happen-"

Clint gave me a knowing look. "You can't afford to think like that," he replied.

"It's in my nature."

I heaved another sigh before I forced another smile on my face. "Now, I'm going to get some sleep, and when we wake up, we're going to take down a Helicarrier, how does that sound?" I said, pressing a chuckle through my lips.

"Like the heroes we are?" he asked with a smirk.

"No," I responded easily. "Like the villains."

It was time to accept my fate.

I expected to get a peaceful night's sleep after the day of revelations I had, after the messages I had relayed, after the apologies I didn't make. What I did not expect was to awaken on a strange purple planet.

I knew in an instant that I was on Titan again.

The last time, I figured it was a dream, but now, I wasn't sure of anything anymore. My brain kept going in and out of haziness, but there was one thing that remained constant.

Thanos.

This time, he was standing directly in front of me.

I blinked heavily, trying to gather my whereabouts, before I noticed that my armor somehow had appeared around me. It felt like I was frozen to the core as I barely breathed, let alone moved or spoke.

"You must be the child of Earth," he said calmly. "Valencia Flint."

Thanos's voice was deeper than I ever would have imagined, sending chills down my spine. I only ever glimpsed him through the after credits scene in the movie, but seeing him in person, or what felt like in person, was something else entirely. It felt like I was in the presence of Satan himself.

"Yes," I finally found the words, instantly cursing myself when it came out in a squeak.

"I have heard much about you," he continued, moving away from me and back towards his throne. "I must say, if you impressed the God of Mischief, then you must be worth something."

My eyes darted around the planet, hoping to catch some sort of glimpse of Loki, but it was as deserted as my previous dream.

"I am his Queen."

I wasn't sure where my sudden boost of confidence came from, but it was definitely misplaced.

Thanos paused as he moved back towards his throne, glancing over his shoulder at me with an evil smirk. I gulped in response, hoping he couldn't sense my abrupt fear.

"Kings and Queens will always fall," he boomed. "But it is the gods that remain. I am your God now. Kneel before me, child, and be accepted into my empire."

Every single cell in my body was screaming to wake up, to run away from this villain before me, but my feet were frozen to the ground. I had no other choice.

I didn't move my gaze from Thanos's as I knelt to the ground on one knee. I knew the traditional pledge of allegiance was to bow one's head, but he was lucky I was able to do this much.

As another smirk crossed over Thanos's face, a chill passed through my system. This was what was plaguing Loki all of this time. This was what he was afraid of. This was going to be his downfall.

I just played right into it.

When I woke up in my own bed, sweat covering my forehead, I knew it was more than just a dream. I could still see Thanos's smug grin in my vision, and I knew that would never go away. Whatever happened to Loki would happen to me next.

It wasn't going to happen today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now. But I knew, deep down in my heart, that I was going to pay for that.

Thanos knew who I was. I was royally screwed.


	30. Chapter 30

**PANDORA**

These people were unbelievable.

I wasn't in the mood to stand here and listen to another word Tony or Steve barked at each other. I thought all of this was going to be resolved since they already bashed it out at Stark Tower. I obviously thought wrong.

A piece of me wanted to keep my mouth shut and just let the events unfold. Luckily, that piece of me didn't win over as the majority of my mind was screaming to speak my mind.

I did.

"You all are unbelievable!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air. "Can't we all work together until this problem is dealt with?"

Steve threw me a grateful glance. "She's right," he said slowly. "I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war, and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, and we should follow them."

"Following's not really my style," Tony commented with a shrug.

Steve snapped his attention back to the arrogance at hand. "And you're all about style, aren't you?" he questioned in an attempt to make a point.

I could have told him it wouldn't work against Tony.

"Out of the people in this room, which one is a) wearing a spangly outfit and b) not of use."

"Steve," I said, interjecting myself before he could retort further. "Tell me none of this seems a little funky to you. I'm a SHIELD agent, and Fury owns our apartment, but it still doesn't make sense. It can't be a coincidence why he's letting us do all of this."

He paused, looking me sternly in the eyes as if he was ashamed to see me agree with Tony before he turned around. "Just find the Cube," he snapped, exiting the room a second later.

That was two dramatic exits down.

"Guy's not wrong about Loki," Bruce said slowly. "He does have the jump on us."

"What he's got is an ACME dynamite kit," Tony replied. "It's gonna blow up in his face, and I'm gonna be there when it does."

I rolled my eyes exasperatedly, crying, "Tony!" before he twisted his head back around, noticing me for what seemed like the first time.

"You're still here?" he questioned dryly. "Didn't you follow your boyfriend out?"

He was really asking for it today. Apparently, one punch across the cheek from me wasn't enough.

"What is wrong with you today?" I snapped.

Tony let out a dry laugh. "I'm finally figuring out the truth," he said. "There's nothing wrong about that."

I raised an eyebrow in clear disbelief. "Excuse me if I don't believe you," I stated.

"Hey, you're the SHIELD agent. I'm not sure if I should be believing you."

Rolling my eyes, I uncrossed my arms from my chest. He wasn't even worth it at this point. "Have a little more faith," I replied. "Not everyone is out to get you."

I had nothing more to say to him.

That made three dramatic exits in the span of twenty minutes, all courtesy of Tony Stark. That should have been some sort of record.

I was more heated than I initially realized as I barged down the hallway, not looking where I was going until I slammed my shoulder into Nat's.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, before she took a step back and analyzed the angry look on my face. "What is up with you?"

I shook my head, resisting the urge to march back in the room and punch him again. "I swear," I said in a low tone of voice. "Stark is schizophrenic."

"I wouldn't doubt that for a single moment."

Natasha let a small smile creep up on her lips in an attempt to make me follow suit. It didn't work. I was too annoyed to play along.

I sighed, taking a step back from her as I attempted to control my emotions. "Do you know where Em is?" I asked, changing the subject.

Natasha's facial expression seemed to freeze for a moment before it faded into her neutral gaze that she usually donned. If I hadn't been trained to analyze people these past few days, I wouldn't have even noticed it. What I also noticed was how high strung her voice was as she tried her hardest to demonstrate neutrality.

"No, I don't," she said in a hurry. "Just do something productive until we get a lead."

She moved past me, continuing her path down the hallway without looking back. That was definitely not normal. I frowned, tilting my head to one side.

On a normal day, I would have chalked it up to stress, but I knew that look on her face. It was the face of panic. I lived with that expression on my face on the daily around these parts.

It only took me seconds to make the decision to head back into the laboratory that I had just exited. As much as I didn't want to deal with Tony anymore, I knew that this whole scenario was way above us.

"I don't think it's just Fury," I announced as I walked back into the room.

The automatic doors swished shut behind me, blowing my red hair around my shoulders. My forehead still crinkled from the frown that I donned after the encounter with Natasha. Bruce was the only one who glanced up initially, spotting my concern almost immediately.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, caught off guard from my re-arrival.

Tony didn't even move to look at me as he continued hitting buttons on the touchscreen in front of him. "Who invited Ginger back?" he muttered loudly, making sure I heard him.

I chose to be the better person and ignore him.

"Nat's hiding something," I stated. "And I'm willing to bet that the other agents know something we don't." I paused. "Something Fury's behind."

I didn't even hear the swoosh of the door behind me open and close. I only heard Fury's booming voice behind me, causing me to jump out of my skin.

"What are you doing, Mister Stark?" he snapped.

My heart was still pounding out of my chest. I knew he was up to something, for sure, but to be heard openly doubting him? I wasn't sure how long my SHIELD career was going to last.

"Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you," Tony answered matter-of-factly. "Even Ginger here is doubting you," he added, pointing a wrench in my direction.

I held my hands up in the air, backing away from both of them. "What!" I exclaimed, pretending not to be scared out of my mind.

Luckily, Fury couldn't give a crap about me at this moment.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," he accused the two scientists, not even glancing in my direction. I finally breathed again.

"We are," Bruce explained more calmly than Tony would have. "The model's locked, and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

Tony nodded in agreement. "And you'll get your cube back, no muss no fuss."

Of course, he was Tony Stark, and he always had the last word.

He spun the computer screen around, showing the buckets of data being downloaded to the server in front of him. "What's Phase Two?" he questioned, earning an annoyed expression from the director.

There was another loud bang from behind me. I spun around, catching Steve's livid appearance as he slammed down a rather large gun on the table. I, of course, knew exactly what it was, on top of how much it was hurting Steve all over again to see it.

I made to head over to his side, but Fury turned his eye back on me, freezing me in my spot. As if I had anything to do with this… this time.

"Phase Two is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons," Steve said before he turned back to Tony and Bruce with a tilt of his head. "Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me."

Fury sighed. "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," he tried to explain, the lies just pouring from his mouth. "This does not mean that we're-"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony interrupted, spinning his computer screen around again to show very clear missile plans, all powered by the Tesseract. "What were you lying?"

I spun on my heels, shooting a glare towards the director. "Are you kidding me?" I retorted, not caring anymore about disrespect. I wasn't going to stand by and let the world that I loved be surrounded by fear.

"We're an organization of spies," Fury countered. "We're allowed to have secrets." His eye rested on my furious gaze, daring me to blink. "You knew what you were getting yourself into."

I could have laughed.

Of course, he would try and spin this to be about me. I was always going to be the martyr for SHIELD, no matter how many times I proved myself.

"No, I didn't," I snapped. "Not when I didn't have all of the pieces of the puzzle."

Steve nodded in agreement, shuffling around the table to stand at my side. "I was wrong, Director," he said. "The world hasn't changed one bit."

I wasn't from the forties, but I knew the history not just of Captain America but the world. If SHIELD wanted to use the Tesseract the same way HYDRA had all of those years ago, then this was no different at all.

For the first time since arriving here, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.


	31. Chapter 31

**EMERALD**

I had a sneaky feeling that everyone could sense the mood I was in.

I was trying my hardest to snap out of it, but every corner I turned, someone else was there to remind me of my failures recently. It was hard to move on when the memory was still present.

That was how I found myself storming through the hallways of the Helicarrier in yet another aggravated mood. I was surprised, however, to find that Natasha was walking towards me in the same mood that I felt on my skin.

"Natasha," I said softly, earning her attention.

"Emerald," she responded curtly with a nod. "Excuse me."

As she made to push past me, regardless of my apparent mood, it dawned on me where she was heading. I grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face me without thinking.

I desperately needed to blow off some steam, and I knew exactly what I was going to do.

"You're going to see Loki."

I felt Natasha's arm tense up in my hand as she froze where she stood, paralyzed by my gaze. "How could you possibly know that?" she questioned suspiciously.

I shrugged. "I saw the determined look on your face," I lied. "It takes a lot to deal with that god."

"And how would you know?" she asked again, her suspicion never fading once.

I knew she was a spy, but if I could fool Nick Fury of all people, I had a feeling that I could sway Natasha on my side too.

"I've already had a run-in," I said, stretching the truth. "In Germany." I shook my head, trying not to show the doubt that I was feeling. "Let me talk to him."

"No offense," she responded, shaking her arm loose. "But I don't think you're qualified to get the required information from him. How many interrogations have you conducted?"

She was right, but I had history.

"That doesn't matter," I clarified. "I know him already, and if it doesn't work, then I can pass it off as trying to clear the air between us and you can step in."

There was a long pause as she actually considered what I was saying. I had seen the movie, I knew what she was playing, and frankly, I had practically memorized the script. That wasn't the issue that got my heart pounding, though.

Loki hadn't said two words to me when I found him in Germany, and a part of me wondered if he even remembered who I was. This time was going to be different. This time, I was going to be in charge.

"Use Agent Barton," Natasha finally said reluctantly. "I… I need to know if-"

I didn't even let her finish, concerned that she might change her mind before I had a moment to breathe. I had to act before I changed my mind.

"Already on it," I snapped, walking towards the location where Loki was being held.

I heard her vaguely shout, "You have five minutes!" after me, but I shrugged that off. I had no idea where I was going, so I figured it would probably take more than five minutes for me to reach the cage.

Nonetheless, I had a determined soul. I was going to make things right.

And if I couldn't, at least I would feel better about myself seeing Loki trapped behind bars.

It took me significantly less time than I suspected to find the room where Loki was being held. Perhaps it was my sheer will to get there and settle the score between the god and I, or perhaps the path was engrained in my blood from watching the movie too much.

Either way, I stood there in the shadows, watching Loki's subtle pacing around the glass cage. He hadn't noticed me yet, and for that, I was grateful. It gave me time to collect my thoughts.

From the moment that he froze in the midst of his stride, I knew the scam was up.

"There's not many people that can sneak up on me," he said slowly, turning around to face me with a smirk on his face.

I tilted my head to one side, not even changing my facial expression. "But you figured I'd come," I said.

"After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm," he replied smoothly. "I would cooperate, but just for you."

I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. "I didn't come to flirt with you," I responded with the driest tone I could manage. "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton."

I wasn't sure if Natasha was watching or not, but I had to stick to the script that I knew. If there was even the remote chance that I could get the same information with adding a few digs of my own, I would consider that a success.

"I'd say I've expanded his mind."

"And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain," I continued. "What happens to his mind?"

He paused. "Why do you care so much?"

To be honest, I didn't have an immediate answer to that question. I had no connections to Clint whatsoever. Why would I care?

"I owe a friend a debt," I finally said, cutting my response short.

"Tell me."

He was goddamn persistent.

"No, it doesn't involve you."

"I'll play along," he complied. "What will you do if I vow to spare him?"

I tilted my head to one side as I immediately answered, "Not let you out." There was nothing in the entire world that I would give to let this trickster out of his cage early. I was merely here to tempt him, to remind him that he wasn't always in charge.

"Ah, no," Loki said, resuming his pacing around the edges of the windowed cage. "But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"

"I tend to keep my promises," I replied. "I'm not bargaining anything."

Loki paused in the midst of his wandering, turning around to face me once more with a smirk on his face. I knew he was about to say something stupid to rile me up, judging by the way that he was staring at me. I kept my face neutral as I vowed not to let him get the best of me.

"What about wiping away your past?"

I could have laughed. If he had asked me this a few days ago, I would have snapped at him immediately. However, this was a different time now. I had better things to do.

"I don't regret anything," I stated, raising an eyebrow. "Do you?"

If Loki was shocked at my answer, he did a very good job of masking it.

"What I think does not matter," he responded. "What matters is what you think of me."

I definitely wasn't expecting that.

"I can tell you one thing," I said quickly, careful not to hesitate for much longer. "It's not too high."

Loki's smirk faded away for a second at my rapid retort, stalking his way to the side of the glass cage where I was standing. I tried my hardest not to flinch and hold my ground.

"Do you honestly think that keeping a promise to one person will wipe out everything that you've done?" he snapped. For the first time since facing him, I wondered what Valencia had said about me. He had all of these preconceived notions, and I had no idea what to assume next.

He didn't even pause as he stepped closer to me. "This is the basest sentimentality," he continued in his threatening tone. "This is a child at prayer. You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers, even to me. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors you've seen and have done nothing to stop. They are a part of you, Miss Maitland, and they will never go away."

My pulse pounded in my ears, jeopardizing my entire operation. If I continued to listen to his comments designated to enrage me, I knew that I was done for. Still, the words frightened me. I knew, if given the chance, he would do everything he was promising.

"I won't touch Barton," Loki spat, judging my wide-eyed reaction. "But only for you. I want to be the one to make you squirm, to beg for mercy, and next time, I will have your precious friend that you care so much about watch as I tear you apart."

I turned my back to the god almost instantly, hiding the tears that threatened to spring to my eyes. How could Valencia love this creature? Loki was not capable of that, and I seemed to be the only one who grasped that reality.

I blamed myself for Valencia's misguiding.

"You're a monster," I managed to croak out despite my growing concerns.

Loki only laughed from behind me. "Oh no," he finally spoke the words I was hoping for. "You brought the monster."

I took one last deep breath, calming my heart rate as I spun back around on my heels. The abrupt motion threw Loki off, and he blinked twice at my sudden emotional change.

"So, Banner," I stated matter-of-factly. "That's your play?"

Loki, for the first time, was at a loss for words.

I wasted no time holding an old-fashioned walkie talkie to my lips, hoping someone from SHIELD was on the other end. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk," I said, not breaking eye contact with the shocked god. "Keep Bruce in the lab. I'm on my way. Send Thor as well and get me Agent Romanoff."

Tucking the device back into my belt, I finally allowed a smirk to appear on my face. This was the moment that made all of the pain worth it.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

It was a matter of seconds before I exited the room, feeling much better than before. Natasha had been wrong, after all. I had the advantage this time.

When I found myself back in the laboratory, a familiar scene was unfolding in front of me. Everyone was fighting, yet again. I resisted a sigh, knowing that this was all part of the plan.

"Stop it!" I shouted nonetheless, unable to watch everyone's pained expressions any longer. "All of you!"

In an instant, all eyes were back on me as if they just noticed my return. It was about damn time.

"You're talking about controlling each other!" I continued, catching everyone's wide-eyed stares. "This is chaotic!"

Bruce only shrugged his shoulders, separating himself further from the crowd. "It's his MO, isn't it?" he commented. "I mean, what are we? A team? No, no, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're…" He trailed off, shaking his head in disapproval. "We're a time bomb."

Fury took a step closer to the scientist, his eyebrow narrowing. "You need to step away," he warned Bruce.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony argued, throwing himself back into the quarrel.

Steve threw him a look. "You know damn well why!" he exclaimed, causing Pandora to give the soldier an incredulous glance. This was not going to end well. "Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

Steve shook his head, pacing a small circle around Tony. "Yeah, big man in a suit of armor, take that off and what are you?" he questioned.

Tony didn't even hesitate, even though a part of me wanted him to.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you," Steve snapped. "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You have a partner, and you don't even rely on her. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

I opened my mouth to defend myself when I felt Pandora's arm brush mine. It was a warning not to get more involved than we already were, but this felt different. The entire vibe of the room was different. Steve had no idea what Tony had been through, and I was ready to bark.

That was when it hit me.

I wasn't about to defend myself. I was defending Tony.

The man who had been treating me like dirt on the ground for the past week, the man who had been taking every opportunity to make a snide remark on how I screwed everything up, the man who had, regardless, given me everything. I was still defending him subconsciously.

My breath hitched in my throat at the realization, causing me to physically stumble backwards. Luckily, in the chaos, no one noticed. Tony and Steve were now face to face, still spewing vile comments at each other in a terrible attempt to rile each other up enough to get into a fight.

"Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds," Steve was currently threatening.

Pandora rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought we were over this!" she exclaimed, barely noticing my absence from the conversation.

"You people are so petty," Thor laughed, "and tiny."

"Yeah, this is really a team," Bruce mumbled, leaning against the counter where the scepter was resting. I was the only one who caught that.

Fury, on the other hand, turned to Natasha, gesturing towards the scientist. "Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner to his-"

"Where?" Bruce retorted. "You rented my room."

At the harsh exclamation, all eyes returned back to Bruce and Fury. I willed my hands to stop shaking as I tried my hardest to focus on the pair in front of me instead of the emotions I was trying so hard to bury.

"The cell was just-" Fury tried to explain, but Bruce didn't even entertain it for a second.

"In case you needed to kill me," he said matter-of-factly. "But you can't. I know, I've tried." He paused, lowering his gaze to the ground. "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. I moved on to focus on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone in here at risk." He turned to Natasha, tilting his head to one side. "You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff?" he taunted. "You wanna know how I stay so calm?"

I wasn't quite sure what possessed me to step forward towards Bruce. I chalked it up to my heightened sentiments over the past several minutes, but a part of me wanted to make a point regardless of what I was currently feeling.

"Doctor Banner, listen to me," I said slowly, putting my hand on top of his. "I've been there. I don't know what you're going through, and I wish that I could say that everything is going to be okay. I can't speak for everyone else here, but there's been points in my life that I didn't think I could make it through anymore." I sighed, making sure I held his gaze. "We all have our personal dark points, Bruce. Just hear my words… and put down the scepter."

At my last statement, Bruce's eyes shifted from mine over to his other hand, currently clutching the scepter. A look of surprise crossed his face, and I breathed out a sigh of relief when he placed it back on the holder that it was being examined on.

"Hath you located the Tesseract?" Thor questioned, breaking the silence.

Bruce shot me one last glance of silent thanks before he moved back to his screens, punching in codes furiously. Tony, on the other hand, never moved his gaze from my direction. When I dared to finally look over at him, I found empathy resting there.

Perhaps I had finally done the right thing.

"Em and I are on it," he finally responded to Thor's question, never removing his eyes from mine. A soft smile appeared across his lips, causing me to respond in the same manner involuntarily. I hated my body for betraying what I really wanted to do. "We're the original team, after all."

"You're not going alone," Steve protested before I could respond to the unusual showcase of kindness from my partner.

Pandora nodded. "He's right," she said. "You get all of us together."

"Who's gonna stop me?" he taunted, but I could already tell he was in a lighter mood than before. That was certainly different than the movies.

"Put on the suit, let's find out," Steve responded.

Tony laughed. "I'm not afraid to hit an old man," he teased.

"Put on the suit."

I barely heard Bruce's swearing before the room exploded from underneath us. I knew it was coming, and yet, I let my feelings catch me off guard again.

Pandora and I were blown backwards towards the door on the other side of Steve and Tony. I groaned outwardly as the pair scrambled to their feet before I could even move.

"Put on the suit!"

"Yep!"

As they stumbled out the door, I grabbed Pandora's arm, hauling us both to our feet in a hurry. "We have to go," I coughed, smoke already filling the room.

"What?" Pandora asked, her eyes glazing over with disorientation.

I prayed she hadn't hit her head. I needed her at my side if we were going to survive our first real battle here.

"I don't want to be around when the Hulk comes out, do you?" I hissed under my breath, digging my nails into her arm. There was no time to lose.

Pandora's eyes widened as she snapped herself back to the moment at hand. "Time to go," she stated, trying not to let panic fill her system.

We exited the room soon after Steve and Tony, darting through the hallways quicker than I anticipated. I made the mistake of glancing down at my hands which were still shaking from the ordeal. Willing them to stop wasn't going to cut it, so I only hoped that I was strong enough to focus on the task at hand here.

If we didn't get this Helicarrier back in the sky in a matter of minutes, we were all doomed.


	32. Chapter 32

**VALENCIA**

As much as I hated to admit it, watching the Helicarrier fall from the sky was a pretty sight. A part of me knew my two friends were on there somewhere, scrambling to figure out the best course of action despite knowing the end was inevitable. They always thought they had the advantage, but I knew what was coming next.

I knew how to make my future a reality.

"Is everyone in position?" I called over my shoulder to the agents behind me.

They were itching for a fight, I could tell, but they knew not to cross me. I was still shaken from the dream that I had the night before, but knowing that I had physically faced death and won was illuminating. I was stronger than I initially realized. I had the power to change whatever I wanted.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, jerking me out of my thoughts, and I spun around to face Clint, a small smile appearing on his face. My stomach twisted at the sight of him, knowing that I was about to lose him for good after this mission.

No sacrifice, no victory.

I repeated that in my mind over and over again, but no matter how many times I thought about it, I still couldn't fathom the idea of losing another person close to me. Clint had become my friend over these past couple of weeks, and I confided in him way more than I probably should have. I wasn't ready to have him stolen away from me.

"Let's get these bastards," he said, swinging his bow back around behind his back.

The plane hovered slightly above the Helicarrier, allowing for the agents to jump and roll out of the aircraft that we were on. I took one last look at Clint before I followed suit, popping back up to my feet and signaling to the plane to circle around a few times. We had work to do.

I impulsively grabbed Clint's arm when we were inside the Helicarrier. He turned around, raising an eyebrow in my direction as I interrupted his mission.

"What?" he asked, irritation flooding his tone.

I shook my head, immediately releasing my grasp on his arm. I couldn't risk Loki's escape by saving him, no matter how much it physically pained me to watch him walk away from me.

"Nothing," I lied, pulling away. "Just… good luck."

Clint smirked, waving his hand to dismiss me. "I won't need it, your Highness!"

Biting my lip, I turned back to the agents who were waiting for my command. I knew what we were supposed to do, and I knew how to fix it. I pushed my way through the crowd, walking to the front.

"Stay close and fire often," was all I said before I turned my back to them, sauntering in the direction of the bridge of the ship.

I had planned this route with Loki before he had gotten captured, but a part of me still wondered if I was fit to lead this group of people. I just hoped that everything went according to plan because I had a plan of my own.

I reached across my back, unsheathing the sword that I had acquired for myself. This was the one thing that I knew from my time spent on Asgard: how to defend myself. Having the sword was just an added bonus.

At my nod, one of the agents beside me popped the top of a grenade, tossing it into the room in front of us. I heard Maria Hill shout out a warning before it exploded, sending smoke to cover our entrance. Gesturing to the agents around me to enter in the building, I watched as gunfire erupted around me.

When there was a break in the smoke, I sauntered through, laying my eyes on the SHIELD director for the first time since joining the dark side. I almost felt bad about destroying his place, almost.

"Valencia Maitland," I announced, brandishing my sword. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance. I'm afraid I'm the captain of this ship now."

"Not on my watch," I heard Fury's voice before he stood up, firing rapidly in my direction.

Luckily, I was ready for that.

I swung my sword around, deflecting all of the bullets as they bounced off the steel of the blade. Training with gods moving at the speed of light tended to heighten my senses.

I couldn't help but smirk at the shocked faces surrounding me from both sides of the playing field. It was time everyone learned what I was capable of.

"Very well," I finally said, the smirk never fading from my face. "We'll do this the difficult way."

Nodding with my head, I gestured for the agents standing behind me to continue firing into the crowd, disabling as many SHIELD agents as they could hit. I stood back for a moment, assessing the situation in front of me.

Fury mimicked my motions, allowing his agents to do the dirty work while he stared me down. "Just a scientist, huh?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, unable to help myself. "I like to keep everyone on their toes," I explained. "Just to keep things interesting."

It was seconds before I felt something slam into my side, knocking my sword away from my body. I whipped my head around as my back made contact with a part of the Helicarrier's console, locking eyes with Maria Hill. Groaning, I pushed myself away from the table towards my assaulter.

"You're going to regret that," I hissed, my eyes darting to the side to see how quickly I could grab my sword.

Maria noticed my eyes flicker to the ground and back, immediately sending a punch in my direction. I caught her fist easily, wrenching her arm and forcing her to the ground. It was almost laughable.

She grasped my moment of weakness, tripping my legs from underneath. As I sprawled to the ground, I took a moment for her to let her guard down, using her own tactics against her. Another second passed before I flipped myself back to my feet, attacking her once more.

I landed one last hit to her abdomen, sending her sprawling backwards. It gave me time to scramble over and grab my sword.

"Sir!" I heard Maria scream over to Fury in midst of trying to get back over to me. I guess I hadn't known my own strength for I had propelled her across the room. "The Hulk will tear the ship apart!"

"Send a distraction!" Fury responded amidst the gunfire. "Where's Thor?"

"The Hulk got him down on the lowest level."

That was all I needed to hear.

"That's my cue," I announced, stepping back towards the door I arrived in. I bowed mockingly towards Maria and Fury, power tripping on their glares I was receiving.

I glanced over to the agents around me, looking at me wildly. "Finish them off," was all I said before I exited the room, not even looking back.

This wasn't part of the plan that we had agreed upon, but that hardly mattered.

I had someone to find.

When I finally made it on the lower level of the Helicarrier, I found the person I was looking for struggling to get back to his feet, clutching his hammer in the other hand.

Thor glanced over towards me, not even showing any bit of surprise on his face. He sighed, his gaze dropping back to the weapon in his hand. For a second, I wondered if he had the audacity to use it on me, but then, he dropped it on the floor.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me," Thor said, leaning against the crate he had been slammed into.

I shrugged my shoulders, sheathing my sword in its holster behind me. If he was playing civil for now, I'd play along.

"It's quite easy when everyone is yelling at each other upstairs," I commented, shaking my head. "I'm starting to realize why you wanted to help this place."

Thor's gaze darkened for a second before it morphed back into the neutral expression from before. "It is a shame that you were not down here a few minutes prior," he said. "I could have introduced you to my friend."

I laughed, the threats as idle as the hammer lying on the ground. "I think I'll pass," I replied with a smirk. "Thank you for the offer."

The joking threats passed as quickly as they arose as Thor tilted his head to one side, evaluating my state. Apart from a few scrapes and bruises across my arms and forehead, I was in perfect health. Thor should know what I was capable of; he was one of the few who trained me.

"Lady Valencia," Thor finally responded. "Why are you doing this?"

That was a vague question.

"I finally know my own worth," I answered honestly. "Being with Loki has made me realize what my value is. The opinions of the sheep will not matter in the end."

To be perfectly honest, it shocked me to hear my own words leave my lips. I sounded exactly like Loki.

"I command you for this discovery," Thor replied. "But resorting to this… madness…" He trailed off for a moment before he shook his head, taking a few desperate steps towards me. "It is not the answer."

"I tried to convince him out of this," I explained. "To find another way to fulfill his destiny, but he was insistent." I paused. "I'm truly sorry for what has to happen, especially to you. You were the one person before all of this that really knew me. Loki sees that in me, too. I can see why you two thought you were related."

Losing my words, I shifted my weight from one foot to the next in an effort to corral my thoughts. "I'm loyal to him, as he is to me," I ended my rant. "That is more than I can say about most Asgardians."

Thor looked taken aback. "I am afraid I know not what you mean," he said.

"During my time on Asgard, I tried to fit in. Some of you even tried to believe in me, to see me as something more than a weak mortal. I thought I would be able to stand up for myself, but I was never an equal. I was always that mortal, no matter how hard I tried."

He continued to stare at me curiously, and I took that as my cue to continue. I didn't need to explain myself to him, but I owed him that much. I had kept the secret of his brother's demise from him.

"With Loki, it's different," I restarted my sentence. "He makes me feel wanted, like I serve a bigger purpose in life than just living. With him, I feel like I'm meant to do something. It's the first time I've ever felt anything like that."

Thor tilted his head to one side, a small smile appearing across his face. I, honestly, was surprised to see it. After everything we had been through together, I assumed some malice was lingering between us.

"You two are very similar," Thor commented when I was finished. "I can see that now."

"We understand each other, to say the least," I said. "And I care about him."

The unspoken words loitered in the air. I knew I didn't have to say anything else for Thor to get what I was implying. He had seen the two of us together before, after all.

He simply asked, "And does he care about you?"

Clint's words from last night held strongly in my head as I chose what to say next. If I had been asked yesterday, my answer would have been completely different.

"That is the intention."

Thor nodded once. "As long as you are happy, my lady."

"You know, I think I finally am," I said with a smile, happy to have my friend back at least for a few moments. "I care about you too, Thor. Believe it or not, I am saving you a great deal of pain by paying you a visit."

"I am afraid I do not understand," Thor commented.

There were a lot of things that I couldn't say to him. I couldn't say that I knew exactly what was going to happen, I couldn't say that I was preventing him from going upstairs and discovering that Loki was escaping, and I definitely couldn't say that I was saving Thor from plummeting thousands of feet to the ground.

Instead, I stuck to the basics.

"Loki's currently escaping upstairs."

In an instant, Mjolnir reached its home in the middle of Thor's palm. I took a step back involuntarily at the sight of the hammer. "What!" he exclaimed, his gaze immediately darkening again.

"If you were there, he would have done everything in his power to stop you," I said honestly, trying not to give too much information away. "You know how dark he can get. I didn't want to see you get hurt."

For a moment, I thought Thor was going to swing his hammer and head upstairs in a last-ditch effort to stop Loki. However, he didn't move a muscle.

"By letting him escape?" he questioned loudly.

"It was inevitable," I said. "It was all planned from the beginning. There was nothing you could do."

Thor sighed, his gaze dropping to the ground below us. "I will not thank you," was all that he said.

"I wouldn't expect you to," I responded with a cool nod.

As I turned away from Thor, a stray tear escaped from the corner of my eye involuntarily. I quickly wiped it away before I glanced back over my shoulder at the deflated god behind me. We were both beyond help now.

"Goodbye, Thor."

"Goodbye, Lady Valencia."

With a sinking heart, I knew the next time we would face each other would be the battlefield. For the first time since joining Loki's quest, I had no idea what was coming next.

I had just made my first change in the universe.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Dark Side - Bishop Briggs

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	33. Chapter 33

**PANDORA**

I wasn't a fan of jumping out of planes.

A part of me knew that what was happening next to the Helicarrier was inevitable. However, I had no idea what to expect actually experiencing it firsthand. Between the constant shaking of the walls and the freefall of the ship towards the ground, I wasn't having the best time.

Thankfully, Emerald was smart enough to have a plan. At least, I hoped she had a plan.

"Where are we going?" I questioned, having to scream over the sound of the explosions coming from down the hallway.

Emerald didn't stop her sprint away from the laboratory. If we had stayed in that room a moment longer, we would have met a very unfriendly version of Bruce Banner. I definitely wasn't ready for that.

"I don't know what you agents carry on you at all times," she responded easily as if we were simply running the mile again back in high school. "But I need my guns."

We certainly wouldn't have been discussing weapons in high school, however.

I paused in my tracks, unhooking an extra pistol from my belt and tossing it in her direction. "I got you covered," I stated, making the mistake of glancing back the way we came.

A loud roar passed through the Helicarrier, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. I had no idea how we were going to survive this, let alone the battle still to come.

"Find Steve," she said, noticing how on edge I was. I had caught a glimpse of her own hands shaking earlier, but I didn't have time to question her. There were far bigger issues at hand.

"I'll find Tony," Emerald continued her train of thought. "With any luck, we'll meet up to repair the engines together."

Oh right, that was what Tony and Steve ended up doing.

As much as I hated to separate from my friend, knowing that anything could happen at virtually any moment, I knew she was right. We had our partners to find.

"Stay safe!" I called out after her before I took off down another hallway, praying that I saw a familiar sight that would lead me back to Steve.

Luck was on my side today, it seemed.

I spotted Steve wandering down a hallway and immediately switched my jog to follow him. "Steve!" I yelled, earning his attention in a second. "Wait up!"

To my surprise, however, he didn't seem elated to see me. I caught my breath nonetheless, placing a hand on his shoulder to ensure he didn't go sprinting off again. I needed a moment, whether we had one or not.

"Pandora, it's not safe here."

I shook my head, regaining my strength. I was not about to sit on the sidelines today, not when I was actually trained to do something. "We have to save this ship," I explained. "And I'm not letting you do it alone, you idiot. We're a team, remember?"

A small smile crossed over Steve's face before he nodded slowly. Even if he didn't agree with me joining the fight, he didn't really have a choice. He couldn't have stopped me if he wanted to.

"Always," he said, gesturing further the hallway. "Follow me."

I glanced up and down the hallway, seeing no one in sight. It was definitely an eerie feeling, especially since this place was known to be crawling with SHIELD agents. I wondered how many innocent lives were about to be lost because Loki wanted to create a scene.

Anger boiled in the pit of my stomach as I trailed slightly behind Steve. I couldn't wait to go toe to toe with the god again, even if it meant getting thrown against concrete once more. I was ready this time.

"Where's Tony?" I finally asked as we slowed our dash to a halt outside a bolted door.

Steve signaled to the door in front of us. "He's suiting up," he said. "This is Engine Three. It was the cause of the explosion."

I was glad at least one of us knew what we were doing.

He grabbed the deadbolt with both hands, easily crushing it and tossing it to the side. I knew he didn't like to show off his super strength often, but I was very thankful to see it in full swing today.

"Stark!" Steve cried as soon as we passed through the door. "We're here!"

A gust of wind threatened to knock me off of my feet as I came face to face with clouds whipping by my face. Steve wasn't kidding. The engine was a mangled mess, sending us plummeting further to the ground with every second that passed.

As much as I vaguely recalled this from the movie, seeing it in person was a completely different story. I only hoped that Tony and Steve were able to fix it the same way they had in the version that I knew. I was not super hyped about seeing the ground rapidly rush up to greet us.

I heard a mechanical whoosh, and Tony, full clad in his armor, appeared in front of me. For a second, I wished that I had a suit to save me from falling out of this ship.

"Who's we?" he asked, not turning his head to notice me yet.

"Agent Ginger, reporting for duty."

I gave Tony a mock salute as he spun his suit around to nod back towards me. This was probably one of the only times I was being treated as his equal, but I wasn't about to complain and ruin the moment.

"Good," Tony replied, already flying down to inspect the smoke burning from the engine. "We need all of the help we can get. Let's see what we got."

I glanced around the area, looking for a familiar blonde head, panic rising in my chest as I didn't locate her. "Where's Em?" I questioned, shouting over the roar of the mechanics below me.

"She had other matters to take care of," Tony said, brushing me off before re-examining the machine in front of him. "I've got to get this super conducting cooling system back online before I can access the rotors and work on dislodging the debris. Rogers, I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in the overload position."

It sounded like a bunch of gibberish, but Steve swung himself over to the panel anyway. Upon ripping it open, he stared at the buttons sparking from it curiously. Honestly, he was not the man for this job.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked Tony, holding a hand over my eyes to keep the wind out.

"I doubt we're alone on this ship," Tony said matter-of-factly. "Cover our asses."

I nodded, already yanking my gun out from its holster. "Copy that," I stated, turning my back to where Tony and Steve were working.

As I checked the ammunition again, double checking that I had enough rounds, I wondered what Emerald had gotten herself into. I knew that she would want to protect the storyline at all costs, but it worried me that she was alone. Tony wouldn't have left her unless it was important.

I didn't have much time to consider the possibilities of my friend's demise, however.

"Rogers!" Tony shouted. "What's it look like in there?"

"It seems to run on some form of electricity."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his comment. Maybe we should have switched roles, after all.

"Well," Tony said with a chuckle of his own. "You're not wrong."

Steve ignored us both. "The relays are intact," he relayed the information. "What's our next move?"

"Even if I clear the rotors," Tony said in between whirs and sparks coming from the engine. "This thing won't re-engage without a jump. I'm gonna have to get in there and push."

"If that thing gets up to speed, you'll get shredded!" Steve exclaimed.

I kept my gaze on the door in front of me, gun at the ready. I wasn't about to turn around and watch my friends both get killed if something went wrong.

"Then stay in the control unit and reverse polarity long enough to disengage mag-"

"Speak English!" Steve shouted, saying exactly what was on my mind.

Tony sighed. "See that red lever?" he finally spoke slowly. "It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word."

Steve nodded, ducking under a piece of fallen debris to reach the red lever. He stood by it, sending nervous glances over towards Tony. It seemed I wasn't the only one worried about the possible outcome of this disaster waiting to happen.

"Ginger, how we doing?" he called up towards me, jerking me back to the present.

"No sign of Loki's goons yet, but I know they'll be here," I answered. "Once they figure out what we're up to, the last thing they're going to want is for us to fix it."

Tony nodded before delving back into his work. "Then get ready," he said before he flew deeper into the engine, beginning to remove the broken parts of the ship mangled within the engine itself.

It wasn't five seconds later that I heard gunshots erupting from further down the hallway. I clicked back the safety, hearing the satisfying pop of the bullets as they readied themselves. Another deep breath passed through my lips before I stepped through the door, coming face to face with a handful of black-clad agents.

I didn't hesitate to empty my load towards them, trying my hardest to hit non-vital parts of their bodies. After all, I wasn't here to kill anyone.

I managed to take most of them down before I ran out of bullets. Kicking the guns out of my hands, I immediately barreled into the stomach of one of my assailants, knocking him to the ground. As he smacked his head against the wall, falling unconscious, I swept my legs out, causing two more of Loki's henchmen to fall.

Crushing their hands with my boot, I separated them from their guns, ensuring my safety. What I didn't notice, however, was the last agent appearing from around the corner. He took the opportunity of my distracted state to fire a bullet straight through my shoulder.

I cried out, clutching the wound with one hand as I stumbled to the side. It felt like my shoulder was on fire from the way it was pulsing, but the fight wasn't over yet. I dropped my hand to the side, blood staining my fingertips as I rushed towards the last agent, kicking him straight in the chest while he was busy reloading his weapon.

"Pandora!" Steve shouted towards me, noticing my bloodied shoulder.

"I've got it!" I said, wincing as I spoke.

I got back to my feet quickly around the same speed as my attacker did, and I wrestled his gun out of his hands a moment later. However, in the fight, I dropped it across the ground, the weapon sliding towards the sky below us.

Swearing out loud, I glanced away from the agent for a moment. A moment too long.

He knocked me off my feet, slamming my head into the ground. Stars crossed my vision briefly as my body threatened to pass out from the pain in my shoulder. I groaned again, my eyes unblurring just in time to see the agent reaching out and grabbing the gun once more.

"Certainly looks like it!" Steve responded, his eyes darting between me and the red lever as if he was debating what to do.

Pinned down, I tried to wrestle out of the agent's grasp as he reloaded the gun, aiming it point blank at my head. "So not the time," I grumbled, trapped under the weight of his body.

I closed my eyes, my body threatening to give up, before I saw the body of the agent falling overboard and into the sky below. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I locked eyes with Steve, holding out a hand to help me back to my feet.

"Cap!" Tony shouted at the most inconvenient time possible. "Pull the lever!"

Steve gave me an incredulous look as he tried to find a piece of debris to swing over back to the lever. "I need a minute here!" he responded, panic rising in his voice.

"Lever! Now!"

I knew something bad was going to happen.

I had no idea what passed through my brain as I hauled myself to my feet, blood gushing from the hole in my shoulder. Nonetheless, I pushed past Steve, taking a running start and leaping over the gap in the floor below me. If I missed, I would start plummeting to the ground and praying that Tony would eventually catch me. If I didn't pull this lever in the next five seconds, Tony would be pulp. I wasn't sure which one was worse.

I landed just on the edge of the other side, but I didn't even have a moment to relish in my small victory. Grabbing the red lever, I used the last of my remaining strength to push it towards the Earth, stalling the motors and sending Tony flying out the back of the engine.

Steve and I both let out a sigh of relief as I collapsed to the floor. Clutching my shoulder, I tried not to think about the constant throbbing as I forced a smile towards Tony who was currently sending me a thumbs up.

"Teamwork, huh?" I said with a weak chuckle.

It looked like none of us were dying today.


	34. Chapter 34

**EMERALD**

Leaving Pandora behind was one of the hardest things I had to do.

I wasn't sure if we were actually going to accomplish our task and make it to the engine in time to save this Helicarrier. We already changed so much that I had no idea which way the wind was going to blow next.

I had a sneaky feeling that Valencia was here somewhere, trying to make my life a living hell. She knew as much as we did about the movies, and if she truly was on Loki's side, she was doing her best to keep this in her own favor.

That alone terrified me.

As I darted through the hallway, the fear continued to creep up on me as I was unable to locate Tony. The movies already changed so greatly. I didn't even want to think about what could have happened.

"Tony!" I finally resorted to shouting, my head turning every which way. I shook my head, muttering under my breath. "Where the hell are you!"

Another terrifying minute passed before I spotted his familiar Black Sabbath t-shirt, making his way down a corridor. "Tony!" I shouted, earning his attention.

I sprinted to catch back up to him, trying not to notice the look of relief crossing his face. "Are you alright?" he asked as he continued our run through the hallway.

Shaking my head, I forced a smile in his direction, despite the fact that the floating ship we were on was actually falling out of the sky. "I'm fine," I reassured him. "We have to fix the Helicarrier."

"No shit, Sherlock."

I barked out a laugh, unable to contain it. If only he knew how truly ironic that was.

"What are we going to do?" Tony asked, stopping in his tracks to make eye contact with me.

I looked taken aback. "I don't know," I babbled. "You're the master planner here."

"I'm a good improviser," he clarified, smirking back at me. "But I do know one thing, for certain."

"That we have to find your suit?"

Tony tilted his head to one side in agreement with my statement. "Well yes," he said initially before he continued. "What I was going to say is that…" He paused as if he was actually thinking about his words for once. I was shocked.

"We do this together, because you're my partner… and I need you."

I hated how the past few days of snarky comments just flooded out of my brain at the sound of that. Still, a smile crept up on my face as I dropped my gaze to the ground. I knew I wasn't going to get an apology, but this was enough for now.

"I need you too," I responded, shaking my blonde hair out of my face. "Let's go find your suit."

As we continued our sprint towards the room where his suit was being kept, we passed by a familiar sight. An unwelcome sight, but a familiar one.

Loki's cage was completely empty, not even a hologram of the god in sight.

"Dammit!" I swore, abruptly halting my jog.

Tony skidded to a stop beside me, coming to the same realization that I had. While his face fell in horror of what was coming next, he took my hand in his, trying to pull me away from the scene.

"Leave him," he said. "We have a bigger issue at hand."

As much as I never wanted this moment of partnership to end, I knew that I had to do something to at least try and stop Loki, especially if Valencia was around. She would take every chance she could get to save him.

"Go with Steve and Pandora," I responded, reluctantly separating myself from him. "I'll find him."

Tony paused, looking at me like I had grown another head. "Em-" he started to say, but my mind was already made up.

"I won't make another mistake. I just… This is what I have to do. He won't get away with tearing us all apart."

I meant that in more ways than one. Not only was Loki trying to create a divide within the Avengers to weaken us, his actions drove Tony and me further apart. I wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Be careful," Tony finally said, nodding his head. "I mean it."

I knew what he was implying.

"When have I not?" I tried to joke before I paused, the teasing comment hanging in the air. "You know, don't answer that." I sent Tony a reassuring smile, gripping the gun that Pandora gave me in my other hand.

Tony didn't move from where he stood frozen a few feet away from me, not wanting to leave me alone. A part of me felt bad after all he just explained about our partnership, but I knew what I was getting myself into. I needed to know the truth.

"Go!" I exclaimed, gesturing for him to head off towards the source of the engine explosion. It was imperative that he saved this Helicarrier before we all ended up in the ocean.

He paused as if he was going to say something else towards me, his gaze full of regret for leaving me. I gave him another nod before I broke eye contact, heading further into the room I had been in not hours before. I knew I wasn't alone here.

Sure enough, as soon as I reached the open door to the glass cage, I felt the presence of someone behind me. It wasn't just anyone.

I spun around on my heels, holding my gun up to eye level as I locked my gaze with Loki himself. I had no idea what happened to Thor, or even Phil for that matter, but we were completely alone.

"No need to look so frightened," Loki said with a laugh, holding his hands in the air.

"Don't move," I snapped, stepping closer to the god.

He raised an eyebrow. "Or what?" he taunted. "You will shoot me?"

"Don't you dare screw with my mind again," I threatened, my gun never wavering from its aim towards his forehead. There were some things that couldn't be resolved with a few tricks.

Loki laughed again, his voice sounding darker than ever. "Oh, but you, you lovely wretch, you returned the favor rather nicely," he said. "I was quite impressed."

"I trusted you."

"And that was your first mistake."

I paused, trying to analyze what his next moves were. Now that he was out of his cage, he had free reign to do whatever he wished. He had unlimited magic, and here I was, thinking I could get to him with a single gun.

"Was your plan always to use me?" I had to ask.

A sadistic smile appeared across Loki's lips as I questioned the very nature of how we met. I had been stupid enough to think that I had swayed him to my side, but he played along more than he should have. I just wanted him to admit it.

"It depends," he said slowly. "Now that we are able to talk freely. Are you really going to fire that shot?"

"I will do whatever is necessary."

The smile never faded from the god's face as he continued to stare into my soul. I could tell he was hesitant to speak, reveling in the moment in front of us. Nonetheless, his so-called Silvertongue won over, his urge to speak overwhelming.

"Because you always do exactly what you are told."

I clicked back the safety on my gun, narrowing my eyes towards the god.

"Amuse me," he replied to my action, the smirk growing wider and wider by the minute.

A thousand thoughts ran through my brain as I stood there, my gun pointed towards the god. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in this scenario. I had meant to stop him, to keep on the tracks of the movie, but now, there was no Thor or Phil to save me here. It was just him and me.

If I pulled the trigger like I so desperately wanted to do, there was a chance that I would actually wound Loki and keep him trapped here. I knew my normal bullets wouldn't damage him for long, but there was a very strong possibility that Tony or Fury would find us before he had a chance to recover. I was stuck in the same loop, over and over again.

My gun shook as I wondered what exactly my role in this situation was. I had no idea how we got in this universe, let alone if it was deliberate or accidental. If someone had wanted us here, they wanted us to mess everything up. Why was it always me who had to make the tough call?

"Don't do this to me, Loki!" I cried. "Come on, damn it!"

"I am waiting."

A part of me was hoping he would make another bold move, using his magic to knock me unconscious again. But this was much worse. He knew that I wasn't ready to do this. He could have sensed my hesitation from a mile away, but judging from his smug expression, he assumed it was due to the fact that we had history.

I was screwed.

My gun shook further as I willed myself to pull the trigger away, but a moment later, I dropped the gun to the ground, unable to go through with my actions.

Knees buckling in on themselves, I collapsed to the floor below me, my entire body trembling on its own accord. I lifted my head up to meet Loki's eyes as he knelt in front of me, his green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"For the record," he purred, making sure my broken expression was facing his. "It meant everything."

I didn't even notice when he walked away, exiting from the room and out of sight. It still felt like his eyes were burning holes into my skull. I sat there, staring into nothing ahead of me. I had done everything and more to secure the timeline, and it still got screwed up anyway.

I knew I had Valencia to blame for that, but a part of me felt guilty for not walking away when Tony urged me to. Why hadn't I walked away?

It was that numb position that Pandora found me in.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since Loki's exit and Pandora's arrival, but I wasn't really sure of anything at the moment.

"Emerald?" I heard my name spew from her lips as she looked around the room wildly for me.

Involuntarily, my still shaking hands wrapped around the gun lying next to me, holding it in my lap in case Loki was back to play another trick on me. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it. I was in no condition to anyway.

"Hey hey," Pandora immediately cried, holding her hands in the air. "Everything's okay. We fixed the Helicarrier, we're safe, Tony's safe-"

I didn't let her finish her babbling as I yanked her into the tightest hug I could manage, my gun falling to the floor once more. Blinking back tears, I tried to place all of my misplaced emotions in the embrace. I had no idea what she just went through, but I should have been there.

Pandora winced in my arms as I gripped her tightly, causing me to immediately pull away in fear.

"Are you alright?" I asked, all previous thoughts about my feelings flying out of my brain.

She tilted her shoulder to one side, showing me the unmistakable bullet wound. I flashed her a clear look of concern as I noticed the blood still trickling out from the gash. It was clear that she hadn't found the time to get it stitched yet, which only made me feel guiltier.

"It's my first battle wound," Pandora said with a smile, nudging me in an attempt to earn the same response. "I'll get it sewed up later." She paused, taking in my disheveled appearance. "What happened to you?"

I didn't even know where to start.

All I could do was shake my head repeatedly, the tears that I was desperately holding back springing to life. "Why do I keep doing this?" I choked out.

"Doing what?"

Pandora's look of worry only fueled the fire. Valencia was trying to change things on purpose, Pandora was doing just fine following the script, and here I was, unable to help my own ego from trying to save everyone.

"Messing everything up."

I took a deep breath, stalling the waterworks for the moment. "Phil's not dead," I said slowly. "And Thor's still on the Helicarrier."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Pandora wasn't understanding what I was saying.

I shook my head again, grabbing her hand. "Everything that I try to do to help only makes things worse," I continued, hoping she would catch on.

She didn't.

"Again, isn't this a good thing?" she repeated her question, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

I knew her connection with Phil blinded her, but this was beyond belief.

"The Avengers are done for!" I exclaimed. "I let Loki escape, sure, but the team is broken and afraid. They have no motivation. They don't have a push."

Pandora paused, letting my words sink into her system. A look of panic finally crossed her face as she realized what was about to happen next.

"Oh."

I took another deep breath, considering my next words carefully. This was my choice, and whether I liked it or not, it was going to be the one to save this planet and put the movie back on track.

"Which is why I was mortally wounded in the struggle."

There were no words to describe the deeper look of terror that passed over Pandora's features. I knew she wasn't about to agree with my decision. That didn't mean I wasn't ready to make the hard call.

"Emerald!"

I shook my head, resisting the temptation to give into her pleading appearance. "I didn't survive, Pandora," I begged. "You have to promise me that you'll stick to that."

Pandora shook her head, stumbling a few feet away from me in shock. She opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to find the right response to my reaction. I only hoped that she would be able to stick to the plan.

"Em," she stuttered. "I can't just pretend… I won't pretend that you're… you're…"

"You have to. It's the only way."

There was still resistance from my red-haired friend, her eyes darting every which way around the room. I was sure that she had come to the realization by now that she wasn't going to change my mind.

"Em, I don't want to!" she tried to reason. "I just got you back in my life here, you just got…" She trailed off, her assumptions fading on her tongue. She sighed, running her hands through her hair. "Where will you go?"

I didn't have all of the answers. I just knew that I had to leave before my plan was ruined yet again. I had to save the Avengers.

"Please don't worry about me," I said. "I won't be gone forever, just long enough that they will have something to fight for."

I only hoped that I meant as much to the team as I assumed.

Pandora tilted her head to one side, trying one last angle to keep me here. "You realize that Tony's going to kill you?" she questioned.

I sent a glare in her direction, catching her insinuations. While I wouldn't admit it to her, the thought had crossed my mind. I closed my eyes, trying to shove the thoughts away of everyone's reactions to finding out that I was gone. That wasn't part of the plan.

"I can't think about that right now," I finally said, opening my eyes and pulling Pandora into another hug, this time avoiding her injured shoulder. "I love you, Dora."

She clapped me on the back of the head softly, pulling away and giving me one last disapproving look. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she commented, a smile finally crossing her face. "Just hurry your ass back. I'm not sure how long I can handle Tony and Steve together."

I gave her a mocking salute, backing my way towards the door reluctantly. I wished I could take her with me, to spare her from lying to the rest of them, but I needed someone that I could trust to keep everyone else in line.

Pandora knew what to do when it came to the team. She was the last one who did.

I had no other choice.


	35. Chapter 35

**VALENCIA**

It took me significantly less time than before to find my way to the roof of the Helicarrier. It seemed that Emerald and Pandora were successful in fixing the ship falling from the sky. I had no doubts that they did their best to keep the movie on track, but I had thrown a wrench in those plans.

I saved Thor.

Regret was not what filled my heart about protecting my first friend in the universe. Whether we both wanted to admit it or not, our fates were still intertwined, and I still cared about him. I only hoped that he still felt the same way once he regained his memory.

I sprinted up the stairs two at a time, catching up to an agent limping ahead of me. "Where's Clint?" I questioned him, grabbing his arm before he yanked the door open.

The agent frowned in my direction. "He was taken by Agent Romanoff," he commented before running towards the plane still hovering above the Helicarrier.

"Should we go back for him?" I yelled after him, having to scream above the roar of the engine.

"Agent Barton can handle himself, I am quite sure."

I spun on my heels at the familiar voice, my words catching in my throat as I laid eyes on Loki for the first time in several days. I knew that I had saved him from destroying both Thor and Phil, but that was nothing compared to how I felt seeing him now.

"Loki," I breathed out softly, a smile appearing across my face. "You're okay."

He tilted his head to one side, examining my expression on my face. "Were you worried about me?" he questioned, the purr hovering in his voice.

"It's part of my job," I replied easily.

He walked a few paces ahead of me before he stopped, holding out a hand for me to take as we stepped into the plane together.

"Is our scientist ready to move the Tesseract?" Loki asked the henchmen surrounding us.

I felt the plane lift off from the roof of the Helicarrier and away into the clouds, far away from the clutches of SHIELD. I took a seat as the floor shook from the high speeds, buckling my seatbelt.

"He is, sir," came a reply from one of the agents.

"Excellent," Loki said with a smile. "The plan is almost complete."

I slipped my hand on top of his knee as he took a seat next to me, the scars on his face evident of his battle with the Avengers. He stared straight ahead as if he was lost in thought, and I knew the scars weren't just physical. Something else had happened to him.

Suddenly, my emotional scars from Thanos didn't seem nearly as important.

"Hey," I said, trying to wrench his attention away from his own thoughts.

He turned to me, noticing the bruising on my arms and hands. As quickly as I tried to yank it away from him, he grabbed my wrist, narrowing his eyes at my nonchalant wince.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle," I answered honestly, tilting my head to one side. I knew this conversation wasn't over, but I had bigger fish to fry. "Did they hurt you?"

"Not in the slightest."

Loki paused, his eyes still not focusing in front of him. "I did have quite the run in with your… old friends," he added after a moment.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

I knew Emerald wouldn't have passed up the opportunity for revenge. Loki was in no position to discuss it with me, I knew he was too proud for that, but I had my own ways of figuring things out.

He was judging my reaction, I could tell.

"How are they?" I managed to ask in the most neutral tone of voice I could muster.

Loki raised his eyebrow, seeing through my ruse. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with them," he commented in return.

"I may say that," I responded honestly, heaving a sigh. "Yet, I don't wish misfortune on them." I glanced over at Loki, my expression heavy. "I still want them to be safe."

That much was true, as much as I hated to admit it. A part of me wished they had never ended up on the Helicarrier.

Loki nodded slowly, his expression finally softening upon seeing my own. "I admire you," was all he said before he snapped back to business. "The red-head complies with the rules. She has become a strong agent from what I gathered, determined to prove her worth, especially to the soldier."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't like Pandora to cling so desperately to another person. "She's with Captain America?" I questioned.

"Quite inseparable," Loki continued with another slight nod. "I almost felt badly for causing her injuries." His gaze hardened. "She chose her side unwisely."

I wanted to question what he meant by injuries. If Pandora was hurt, I hoped that the rest of the Avengers would take care of her. For the first time, I felt concerned for my former friends.

Loki swept on with his analysis before I could inquire further on the damage he had caused. "Emerald, on the other hand, acts on her own impulse. She follows her own code, protecting those that she cares about before herself, even if that means making the hard decisions."

"You spoke with her."

The words seemed to slip out of my mouth without realizing that I had actually spoken them aloud. Loki seemed shocked by my abrupt accusation, but he knew where I was coming from, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"She's a master manipulator," he said. "Even if I had not heard your stories, I could see it in her face, even if it was too late."

"Did-" I started to say, afraid of what "too late" meant in Loki's terms.

Loki shook his head, sensing my apprehension. "I did not reveal anything about the plan if that is what you are concerned about," he quickly added.

"I just want to make sure that you are alright, in more ways than one," I responded, placing a hand on his cheek.

Forcing him to look at me, I could still see the uneasiness in his eyes. He forced a smile on his face, leaning into my hand. "Do not fret, darling," he said softly. "Not even your manipulative friends can outwit me."

I sighed, letting my hand trail down to his own arm and resting it there. "What did she say to you, Loki?" I whispered, trying not to direct any unwanted attention from the goons around us.

"How-"

His look of surprise that I could read him so well warranted a laugh from my lips. "You're not the only one with super abilities," I joked, squeezing his arm gently to let him know that I was still here.

There was a long pause as he sat there in silence, replaying the moments in his head. "She… got the best of me," he finally spoke. "It was unexpected." There was another moment of dead air. "I did not expect her to be strong, as you are. It was the first time I was wrong about someone."

"Loki," I tried to interrupt, but he wasn't finished.

I wasn't complaining. He could have shut himself down and said that whatever happened was in the past. He trusted me enough to open up.

"Midgardians are not the same people that I once remembered," he continued. "Emerald left behind the people she cared for because she wanted to protect them. I saw the look in her eyes when she left the man she cared about behind. It is the same way that you look at me."

As different as Emerald and I had been in our world, perhaps we weren't so different after all.

I raised an eyebrow. "And what does that mean for us?" I finally asked, not quite sure how to broach the topic.

"It means that in order to conquer the world, we have to be above their newfound strength," Loki said. "We have to be something more."

I closed my eyes, wrapping my free hand that wasn't on top of Loki's around my sword. I saw the look on Fury and Maria's faces when they saw what I was capable of. That wasn't a look they would give any mortal.

"You're wrong," I replied. "My adoration for you may stem from my Midgardian blood, but I'm no longer a full child of Earth. I didn't spend months on Asgard for nothing. I have Asgardian training, and I have an Asgardian king at my side."

"I am not-" Loki started to argue.

I shook my head, earning his attention back from where he was staring at nothing. "It doesn't matter," I spoke over him. "You are Asgardian royalty to me."

His expression was unreadable.

Not once throughout my several times of analyzing Loki on the screen did I see so many emotions passing through his face than I did in this very moment. I had no idea what to make of that.

Even if our twisted relationship of sorts started to earn my trust, it was much more than that now. This was something I never expected.

If he wanted to respond to my comments, I didn't give him the chance.

As soon as I felt the plane land on the ground, I immediately bolted to my feet, tucking my sword back into its holster. I could still feel Loki's gaze resting on my back, but I already said too much. Gesturing for the soldiers behind me to follow behind me, I exited the plane swiftly.

What I saw in front of me was not what I was expecting in the slightest, however.

My breath physically caught in my throat as I laid eyes on Stark Tower for the first time in person. "Holy shit," I whispered under my breath before I forced myself to keep moving towards the building.

I prayed my hacking skills were as good as they used to be as I easily bypassed Tony's security system, allowing us to enter the building undetected. I knew Tony would figure out our whereabouts soon enough, but I needed time to myself first.

I felt Loki's presence behind me as I stood amongst the lobby where I knew my friends once stood. "I never thought I would actually be here, wherever this is," I said, trying my hardest not to make it seem like I knew this whole thing was going to happen.

"Enjoy it while you can," he responded, turning his curious gaze back to mine.

"I'll meet you on the roof, okay?" I quickly uttered, making my way to the elevator before he could say anything else. I wasn't ready to have this conversation right now.

I had no idea what I wanted from any of this anymore.

I found myself wandering the hallways of Stark Tower before a familiar sight stopped me in my tracks. Heading further into the room, my suspicions were confirmed as I immediately recognized my friend's style.

This was Emerald's room.

Taking a seat on her bed, feeling the mattress sink slightly as I did so, I finally allowed a few tears to escape from the prison of my eyelids. "I miss you, Em," I sighed.

When I started on this journey with Loki, I had no idea that this was where I would end up. From what Loki shared with me, Emerald and Pandora felt the same way. I had already come to the realization that I wasn't just another Midgardian anymore. What I told Loki was the truth.

What I hadn't voiced aloud, however, was just how I felt about that.

I never wanted these people to die. I never wanted to be part of an alien invasion. I thought that I could become the person that I was destined to be without having to suffer the consequences.

The choice was right in front of me, and I had no idea how to make it. I had gotten myself in too deep, and now that I was physically sitting here in New York City, a city that would be turned to ash very shortly, it all seemed much more real.

By remaining at Loki's side, I was aiding a terrorist to destroy a city that I once called home. However, now that Loki was in my life permanently, I couldn't imagine being without him, or worse, fighting against him.

The worse part of the whole matter was the concept of what Loki would do without me. I wasn't sure if everything would work out in the same way. After I just got him to trust me, to open up to me, I couldn't go back now.

That was something the old Loki would never do.

In the beginning, I was enamored with him, but now, I knew that I was one hundred percent in love with him. The decision wasn't hard to make from there. I could make the sacrifice and fall on the sword with him, despite whatever that meant for my own future.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, putting my hardened mask back on. As I got to my feet, however, a flash of something unusual caught my eye. There was a photograph laying on Emerald's side table that I recognized, not from this universe.

Picking it up, I traced my fingers over the glossy film, my brow narrowing. I remembered this picture as clear as day. It was taken of Emerald, Pandora and myself at Emerald and my graduation. It was weird to see the three of us smiling again, our arms wrapped around each other without a care in the world.

I didn't wish to go back to those days, but I wondered what it felt like to feel that joy again.

Unless Emerald had this very particular photograph on her the day we fell into this universe, there was no way that this picture should exist here. It meant that unanswered questions to our being here were still out there.

I folded the picture in half, tucking it into the inside pocket of my jacket. This wasn't the time for mystery solving. I had a god to find.

When I came across Loki standing on the edge of the roof, surveying his new kingdom, I let a tiny smile appear on my face. I knew I had made the right decision.

"Find what you were looking for?" he questioned as I approached his side.

I stepped up on the balcony to join him, feeling the rush of adrenaline overcome me as I glanced down at the cars thousands of feet below me.

"Somewhat," I answered honestly with a shrug. "So, what happens next?"

Loki glanced down at me in surprise. I didn't need to say anything else. He knew I was here for the long run, and that was all that mattered.

"The war begins."

This time, I was ready.


	36. Chapter 36

**PANDORA**

I had never been a good actress.

When Emerald asked me to lie for her, I debated laughing in her face, except for the concept that the situation was grim. I knew I was going to be the one to blow this.

Why was it always me.

That was how I found myself in the bathroom, splashing water in my face and rubbing my eyes to make myself look a lot worse than I was before. I still hadn't found a paramedic to take a look at my gunshot wound, but it finally stopped bleeding. That was one success today.

I allowed for the dull throbbing in my shoulder to add more tears to my eyes. If this really worked, Emerald owed me big time.

"Where the hell have you been?" Maria questioned, pushing away the medic tending to the cut on her head.

If I wasn't supposed to be pretending that my best friend was dead, I would have snapped at the paramedics, asking where the hell they had been. However, I stuck to my numb expression, hoping that I could at least pull this off for Emerald's sake.

Steve noticed the water streaks on my face first, getting to his feet and heading over to my side. "Pandora?" he questioned.

"She's dead," I said softly, not sure if anyone could actually hear me.

As it turned out, they could.

"What!" Phil exclaimed, pushing his way towards me. "Did the medic team-"

"They called it," I interrupted.

The irony of Phil asking me the very same line that Fury once said about his own death was lost on him. As much as I was overjoyed to see him alive and well, minus a few cuts and bruises, I knew this wasn't about to be pretty. This was about to be much worse.

As if the universe read my thoughts, Tony and Natasha came bolting into the room at the same time, the panic clear on their faces. I had a horrible feeling I knew where that panic stemmed from.

"Have any of you seen Emerald?" Tony asked, his eyes darting around the room in search of my blonde friend. I hated her more with every single minute that passed. "I haven't seen her since-"

"Tony."

I forced myself to look up at him, the tears springing to my eyes real as ever. "She's gone," I whispered before I looked away, unable to watch his reaction.

Whenever Emerald did come back, I was going to kill her for real.

"No," Natasha muttered, shaking her head. "There wasn't supposed to be-" She ran her hand through her hair. "I was the one who sent her to talk to him," she said, surprising me with the sadness written on her face. "He targeted her because of that."

I wasn't about to argue with that one, if that was what everyone wanted to believe.

Turning away from everyone, I buried my head in Steve's chest as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I wasn't going to subject myself to this.

"We won't let this all be for nothing," Steve promised, initiating exactly what Emerald expected it to.

I couldn't hear what anyone else was saying for several minutes as they all processed what I had told them without question. I half-wondered if anyone was going to ask for proof, but another part of me knew that they believed Phil's death too. This had to work, for the Avengers' sake.

Steve pulled away from me when another pair of footsteps entered the room behind me, causing me to spin around. Tony was sitting in a chair, staring straight ahead expressionless. Natasha was leaning against the doorframe, regret filling her gaze. Steve still had his hand resting on my shoulder while the other SHIELD agents and Thor were standing behind me in a state of shock. It wasn't a great scene to walk into.

Especially for Nick Fury.

He caught the tail end of our conversation, putting the pieces together. "She wasn't what you all thought she was," he announced, earning everyone's attention in a split second.

"What are you talking about?" I snapped.

Fury folded his arms across his chest. "She worked for me."

Even Natasha's head shot up towards Fury at that statement. "What?" she questioned the director, suspicion now overcoming the regret on her face. "She wasn't SHIELD."

"No, not SHIELD," Fury continued. "Just me. Emerald was here because of me." He paused, beginning a slow pace around the room. "I approached her the moment I first met her, as soon as my sources confirmed her story. She used to work for the World Security Council before she was… removed from their program. She ended up in California where she found herself in the company of Stark. That was when I found out she knew about the Avenger Initiative."

Thor tilted his head to one side. "The Avenger Initiative?" he questioned.

"We're dead in the air up here," Fury answered without really answering, tossing his hands in the air. "Our communications, our location of the cube, Banner, I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming."

If I had my thoughts settled, I definitely would have snapped back at the director for that comment.

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract," he continued. "I never put all of my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more, see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could." Fury paused, looking me dead in the eye as he spoke. "Emerald agreed to give me information on Stark and anything he was working on that could assist this program in exchange for a seat for both of them at this table. She was a part of the Initiative from the beginning."

I had it.

There was no one here to dispute Fury even if he was lying. The only person who could justify what he was saying was pretending to be dead.

"Are you kidding me!" I finally broke my silence, wrenching myself towards the director. "She just died in this battle that wouldn't have happened if you didn't order Loki to be on this damn Helicarrier. Have a little respect."

"I should be telling you about respect, agent."

I clenched my jaw, feeling the insinuation in the air. I opened my mouth to say something else I probably would have regretted later, but Steve put his hand on my arm once more. It was a warning, I knew that much.

"Is that really true?" I heard Tony ask, and my heart physically broke at the hurt in his voice. If this had been any other day, I knew for a fact that he wouldn't believe a word that Fury was saying. But today, Emerald was pretending to be dead.

Great.

"As true as the scars on my eye," Fury stated.

Tony's gaze shifted to the ground once more, and I longed to go over and tell him the truth. Instead, I chose to glance around the room, pleading with my eyes for everyone to believe in what I was saying instead.

"She wouldn't do that to us," I begged everyone to listen. "She would have… She would have…" I trailed off as everyone dejectedly left the room, their heads hanging in discouragement.

So much for grieving.

Tony shot to his feet, unable to process this for any longer, following the rest of the crowd out. Soon, it was just Steve, Fury and I left in the room. I looked back at Steve desperately, not sure what to do next.

"Well, it was an old-fashioned notion, anyway," said Fury before he, too, left us alone.

Steve patted me on the back softly, trying to change the mood of the non-existent room. We were screwed.

It was about an hour later that I walked by Bruce's laboratory, still trying to find a damn paramedic in this place. I was half-looking for my weapons scattered around the place, half-looking for someone to stitch up my shoulder and get this crusted blood off of my jacket. It was a nice jacket.

What I wasn't expecting to find was Tony sitting in the explosion-ridded laboratory, his head in his hands. Great. Now, he was my responsibility.

"Hey."

He lifted his head up as I spoke, his dull gaze meeting my own. "She's really dead, huh," was all he said before he lowered his head again, staring at the creases in his hands.

I sighed loudly, pushing myself away from the door frame that I was leaning against. I made my way over to his side, taking a seat on the bench next to him. Shifting awkwardly, I wasn't sure how I should try and comfort him, despite the knowledge hanging over my head.

"I know you knew her for a long time," I started to say, but Tony wasn't here for it, it seemed.

"It wasn't real."

I shook my head, turning my head to look at him with the most serious gaze I could manage. "No, it was more than real," I promised, thankful that I was able to speak the truth for once. "Even if Fury is telling the truth, he wanted her there to protect you. Everyone knows how reckless you can be. He thought she would be good for you, and she was. She was good for all of us."

Tony didn't say anything for several minutes, the silence lapsing between us. I knew the last thing he wanted was to reveal to me the pain he was currently in.

"I…" he started to say before trailing off, his voice cracking. "I… I never got the chance…"

"I know," I cut him off, unable to hear anymore of his mumbling. "I saw the way she looked at you. It wasn't one-sided, buddy."

I only wished Emerald were here to hear his confessions in person. It was something that I, for one, knew all along.

Tony looked up at me with dead eyes, shaking his head as if I couldn't understand what he was going through. "I made her a suit," he said softly.

"What?"

I definitely heard him wrong.

"I built her a suit," he repeated himself. "She was my partner. She deserved it, probably more than me, and now she's gone."

I closed my eyes, wanting to save Tony from this pain more than anything. "Save it," was all I said, glancing up to meet his eyes. "She would have loved it. I know she would have."

"You were her best friend."

It was a statement, one that I wasn't expecting, but a statement nonetheless.

"Yeah, I know," I answered easily, patting his knee once for support. "And you were her partner… in everything. Don't give up on her just yet."

If I stayed in that room a second longer, I would have lost my mind.

I headed back into the Helicarrier, leaving Tony alone to process everything that I said to him. Rounding the corner of one of the hallways, I flagged down a paramedic carrying a bag by his side. The least I could do was get this wound looked at.

It didn't take long for the paramedic to stitch the wound as the bullet went straight through. He was just tying up the final knot when I laid eyes on Natasha and Thor walking past the room I was perched in.

"What's going on?" I called out, earning both of their attention.

Natasha turned towards me in surprise. "Rogers called a meeting," she commented. "Said it was urgent."

That was all I needed to hear.

"That's good enough," I told the paramedic, pushing him away reluctantly. I swiped a cleaning wipe from his bag, throwing him a grateful glance and mouthing a quick thank you.

I followed behind the pair of future Avengers, rolling my shoulder around experimentally. Natasha's face had hardened from before, the determination and anger fueling her movements. As much as I wanted to kill Emerald for putting everyone through this, she was right.

She was always right.

As the three of us entered into a new room in the Helicarrier, I laid eyes on Steve first, his arms folded across his chest. That was when I saw Tony, his energy renewed from before. All of the sadness seemed to fade from his eyes, hopefully due to our conversation. Everyone was itching for revenge.

"Emerald was an idiot," Tony was saying, his back facing all of us.

"Why?" Steve questioned, his eyebrows skyrocketing to his forehead. "For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone."

Steve shook his head, noticing our presence in the room. "She was doing her job," he pointed out.

Tony spun around, his gaze shifting from Steve over to my own. Something passed between us, and I knew for certain that the grieving period had passed. This was something else.

"He was out of her league," he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "She should have waited for backup. She should have-"

Steve threw him a sympathetic glance. "Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."

"Right, and how did that work out for her?"

Steve asked, "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" and I winced slightly, predicting Tony's reaction to the harsh question.

I was right.

"We are not soldiers!" he exclaimed, marching over to Steve's side. "I am not marching to Fury's fife."

Steve shot a glance in our direction once more, nodding towards Tony. "Neither am I," he said softly, metaphorically treading on ice. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does, but right now, we have to put that behind us and get this done. Now, Loki needs a power source and if we can put together a list-"

Tony wasn't even listening anymore. "He made it personal," he interrupted. "Not just to me because-" He broke off, glancing in my direction. The unspoken words hung in the air, and I gave him a tiny nod of approval. I wasn't the only one who understood what he was saying.

"She was one of us," he continued before anyone could say anything else. "No matter what Fury or Hill says. She fought beside us, and she gave her life for us. Why should it matter her initial agreement?"

Oh, he did actually listen to me.

A tiny smile appeared on Steve's face as he shook his head in disbelief. "That's not the point," he agreed with Tony's statement. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

If the situation wasn't so grim, I could have laughed.

"That is the point," Tony said. "That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

Thor took a step forward, his fists clenching and unclenching with every move he made. He was grieving too, in another way completely. "He believes that he deserves a throne," he put in. "And he shall do whatever he deems necessary."

"To tear us apart," I inserted myself into the conversation.

"Yeah, divide and conquer, but he knows he has to take us out to win," Tony added, resuming his pace around the room. "That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

Steve scratched his head. "Right," he approved. "I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"That's just previews, this is… this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tail diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered-"

Tony broke off, coming to the realization that I hoped he would. I exchanged a glance with Steve before moving back to Tony, the idea dawning on him.

"Son of a bitch."

I was wrong. Everyone wasn't itching for revenge.

They were itching to avenge.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Chasing Cars - Sleeping at Last

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	37. Chapter 37

**EMERALD**

Leaving the Helicarrier without running into anyone was easier than I anticipated. Pandora had left me instructions to the nearest Quinjet, enabling me to exit the place safely without any further chaos. There was already too much of that.

I silently thanked Tony for teaching me how to fly one of these things. I wasn't sure what else I would have done.

I landed the plane safely outside New York City, praying that I managed to hit all of the buttons to enact the proper stealth mode. There was a slight pause in which all of the doubts from earlier in the day came flooding back. I couldn't focus on that now.

After exiting the plane, I heaved another sigh, taking in the sights of the city in the distance. "Great plan, Em, what next?" I mumbled to myself.

From the non-existent smoke I was seeing from the skyline, I figured the invasion of the Chitari had yet to begin. It was in that moment that I found myself heading towards the outskirts of Midtown.

I had some time to kill before the Avengers showed up.

As I began my trek, keeping one hand on the gun Pandora had given me on my belt, I tried my hardest not to think about where they all were at this very moment. If Pandora had done her job, they should come to the conclusion that Loki was heading towards Stark Tower and show up any moment.

At least, that was the plan.

I headed deeper into Manhattan itself, leaving Queens and my plane far behind. I was going to be here for the final battle, granted there still was one to be fought.

I came across what looked like an old bridge near the edge of Grand Central Station. As I ducked underneath, however, I came across what looked like someone's living space, complete with a couch, a table and even a few storage bins. Pushing the curtain aside, I found something else entirely.

Rather, someone else.

"Oh my god," I exclaimed as I laid eyes on a woman around my age furiously typing away on a laptop. "I'm so sorry."

She lifted her head up, assessing my reaction and assuming I wasn't a threat. I already saw her eyes dart to the gun obviously hidden in my pocket, however. I wasn't sure how well that was going to go over.

To my relief, though, she shifted her gaze back to the screen of her computer as she resumed her typing. She didn't even seem fazed that I had clearly found her hiding spot.

"Hey, don't sweat it," she responded, blowing a piece of dark hair away from her face. "I'm just trying to finish up some work here."

I nodded slowly, glancing around the place. "I didn't know anyone else knew about this," I said, trying to make it seem like I wasn't as big of an intruder as I was.

The woman still didn't remove her eyes from her screen. "I guess we must have kept missing each other," she responded nonchalantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," I stammered. She clearly didn't recognize who I was, let alone take more than a glance towards me. "Do you mind if I crash here for a little bit?" I asked, already moving towards one of the tables in the place.

"Trying to hide from someone?"

I felt her eyes burning curious holes in my back as I turned away from her, shrugging my jacket off my shoulders.

"I guess you could say that," I answered, sitting on the wooden surface and raising an eyebrow towards her.

She tilted her head to one side, trying her hardest to seem interested in the conversation without interrupting whatever she was typing. "Mind if I ask?" she questioned, unexpectedly extending the conversation.

"So, you can tweet about it?" I shot back with a smirk, gesturing to her laptop.

She let a similar smirk cross her face before she slammed down the lid of her computer, tucking it into her messenger bag beside her. "Touché, touché," she laughed, folding her arms across her chest as she looked at me again for what seemed like the first time. "Well, if I had to guess, I would say that you're not on the run from someone, but you'd rather stay hidden from the world. Which I don't understand because judging by your weapons tactfully hidden and that hardened expression on your face, you can take care of yourself."

I leaned back, shaking my head in shock. "Who even are you?" I asked, surprise ringing clear on my face.

"I'm a good judge of character," she said before leaning forward, holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Skye."

I shook her hand, nodding in agreement with her statement. "Unusual name," I stated in response.

"This is usually where you tell me your name," Skye said, releasing my hand and leaning back against the couch once more. From the way she was lounging, she definitely seemed comfortable here.

I shrugged my shoulders. "If I'm trying to hide, as you presume, why would I even consider telling you my name?" I pointed out.

"Trust."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "That's something I don't have a lot of right now," I said, "especially for hackers like you."

This time, it was Skye's turn to be taken aback.

"I'm a good judge of character too," was all I said. "And I happen to know computers rather well." I nodded with my hand, gesturing to her hands. "You've got a good rhythm there. My friend Val-" I broke off at the sound of her name before I quickly adjusted my statement. "My friend worked with computers for a living and taught me a thing or too."

"Maybe the Rising Tide could use someone like you," Skye offered, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed, thinking about what it would be like to just run away and start over as a hacker on the streets. "Sorry Skye, but I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon," I said. "My boss keeps me busy." I paused, my stomach twisting in knots at the thought of Tony and my friends again. "But I do appreciate the offer."

Skye shrugged her shoulders, chalking it up to my own loss. She got to her feet, swinging her bag around her shoulder as she glanced over in my direction.

"Alright Blondie, it's been real," she replied. "I better run. I've been sitting in one place for too long." She turned to make her way out of the hide out but stopped at the last minute, looking over her shoulder. "And don't worry, I didn't see anyone back here."

"Maybe I'll see you again," I suggested, finding it refreshing to find someone in this universe that I didn't know by name already.

Skye smirked. "Unlikely."

She waved one more time in my direction before she pushed the curtain aside and headed out into the city around us. I only hoped that she would be safe from what was coming next. I already had enough innocent blood on my hands.

I sat there longer than I could remember, refusing to turn on my phone in case someone tracked my location. While there wasn't much to do other than sit and reflect, I tried my hardest to keep my thoughts away from my friends' current whereabouts. They were mourning me, and the longer I let my mind wander to that, I would surely lose my mind.

Instead, I chose to practice what I was going to say to everyone when I eventually returned. They were definitely not going to be happy to hear that I faked the whole event, but I hoped they would understand. They were superheroes. Sacrificing themselves was something that they did best.

At least, that was the best-case scenario.

It was a shorter amount of time than I anticipated before I heard a group of high-pitched screams erupting from outside. The proximity to Grand Central had my hide-out in the center of the action that was heading right for us.

"Well, that didn't take long," I muttered to myself before I got to my feet, pushing back the make-shift curtain to my hiding spot.

My mouth practically fell open as I came face to face with two Chitari aliens standing directly in front of me. "Right, army," was all I said before I unloaded the entire clip of my pistol into the aliens' chests.

Shaking my head, I lowered my gun, noticing the group of civilians that I had attracted around me. I ran further into the open, ushering them all into a nearby alleyway. There was no time to get them to safety at the rate that the Chitari were flying into the city.

I tried not to get caught up in the imminent destruction that was just beginning to rain down on this planet. There was work to be done.

As if on cue, another group of aliens appeared behind me. One girl let out a blood-curdling scream, pointing behind me. I didn't waste any time before firing in their direction once more. I managed to take out another few of them before my ammunition ran out. Resorting to the old-fashioned way, I managed to get them to fire at each other, easily dodging their slow movements and turns.

When I hid the group of civilians behind a nearby dumpster, I pressed a finger to my lips. "When the police arrive, they'll get you to a safer location," I promised.

The girl from before grabbed my arm before I could get very far away from them. "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes wide with gratitude.

I didn't even hesitate.

"I'm an Avenger," I said with an honest smile. "And as long as I'm around, nothing is going to touch my city."

That was a promise I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep, but I was going to try my damn hardest. If I was going to survive any further in this battle, however, I needed more weapons at my disposal. I stood no chance against the Chitari with only my two fists.

I recalled a nearby weapons shop a few blocks over from one of my favorite cafes, praying that it still existed in this universe as well. I didn't have time to waste.

Luck was on my side, it seemed.

There was a moment when I entered the shop that the owner stared at me, half-debating whether to assume I was a terrorist or not. I hoped since I wasn't currently sporting an alien mask, I could at least find the guns I was looking for.

"Can I help you?" he decided to ask after a few seconds of simply staring in my direction.

"I need some more arsenal," I cut straight to the chase. "I had one pistol to my name, and that's out of bullets. Obviously, this is not going to cut it." I held up the gun on me, waving it around in the air.

The store owner simply raised an eyebrow, not a care in the world that there was a war erupting right outside his front door. "Do you have a license for all of this?" he questioned.

"Oh, for god's sake," I swore, shaking my head. "Aliens are invading our planet."

"I still have integrities."

It seemed he was one of the last people who did. I respected that.

Nodding, I fumbled through my jacket pocket until I found what I was looking for. "Respect," I said to him before holding up the SHIELD ID card Fury had sent me all of those months ago when I was still reporting to him. "I work for the government."

The store owner squinted briefly at my card before grabbing a variety of small guns from the wall behind him. "You're one of them Avengers?" he asked, setting the weapons on the table separating us.

"Yeah actually, I am," I responded, the title suiting me.

He only had to nod once before he gestured to the guns in front of me and then the entire store around us. "Take what you want on the house," he responded before heading into the back room to hopefully take cover. "Just take those bastards down."

Now, that was a promise I could keep.


	38. Chapter 38

**VALENCIA**

It was an eerie feeling, standing on top of Stark Tower and staring out across the city. It reminded me so much of the place that I once knew, bringing up all old memories again. Yet, there was so much that I hadn't even begun to explore.

Now, this city was ripe with new possibilities.

As soon as the Chitari army started to fly down from the sky, however, I turned away from the edge of the building, making my way back onto the gravel of the roof. Selvig was standing guard next to the Tesseract, while Loki was staring straight into the portal created from the gem itself. No one else could see it, but the look on his face screamed devastation.

"So, what happens now?" I shouted towards Loki, directing his attention away from the hole in the sky. "The Chitari just… take over?"

Loki allowed a victorious smile to appear across his lips. "When the city is leveled, they will answer to us, the saviors of the city," he said. "And when the superheroes are gone, we will be the only ones left."

That part I wasn't so keen about.

"Gone?" I questioned.

Loki shook his head, back-tracking his words. "If you fret that much, my love, I will spare your so-called comrades," he said slowly. "If that means so much to you."

His insinuating words confused me. My face reflected that same thought.

"I don't want anything to happen to-" I tried to explain, but I wasn't sure what I was planning to say to that.

"They chose the wrong side," he continued. "They deserve to be punished."

I raised an eyebrow as I crossed my arms across my chest. "And they will," I put in. "Just in the right way."

"Who will decide what this way is?"

"We do it together."

There was a long pause in which Loki seemed to be gathering his thoughts. It didn't matter what he said anymore. I knew the real him now.

"When I first met you," Loki began carefully, pacing a small circle around me. "You wouldn't speak a word to me, let alone talk back to me."

I lifted my head up, refusing to give into his green gaze. This obviously was a test. Loki knew all of my answers already.

"I learned from the best," I said softly, raising a cautious eyebrow. "When I told Thor that I follow my own rules, I wasn't lying. I will do whatever is necessary to benefit my future, and I know that you will do the same. It is part of the reason why we work so well together. We need to trust each other if we are going to rule side by side."

Loki sighed, a hint of smile threatening to creep up on his face. "You are the only one that I trust right now," he replied. "Do not let me regret that decision."

My heart panged with misery as I came to the conclusion that every person that Loki trusted ultimately turned their backs on him. As much as his statement came out as a threat, I knew he didn't mean it that way. There was a hidden weakness lying right in front of me.

"Hey," I said, placing a hand on his cheek. "You will never have to lose me, I promise. You are the only one that truly understands me, sees me for who I really am, and while you can be the world's largest asshole, I-"

I wasn't sure what words were babbling from my lips, but all I wanted to do was convince Loki of the fact that I was going to be there until the bitter end.

Luckily, I didn't need to say much.

He cut me off with a simple kiss, letting his hand rest on the base of my neck. I pulled away after a minute, smiling towards him. This public affection was just the next step in his changing form. The old Loki would have never admitted to anyone but himself that he cared about another person.

Judging by the half-surprised looks from Selvig and the other agents on the roof, they felt the same shock as I did.

"I would be lost without you, my Queen," Loki replied, bringing me back to the present. "Do not make me worry any less."

I shrugged my shoulders, unable to keep up with that request. "Sorry, danger just attracts me," I joked, walking back to the edge of the building once more. "I learned that on Asgard."

The ground seemed to rush up to meet me as I stepped up on the ledge, the height messing with my focus temporarily. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to steady myself again.

"What are you doing?" Loki called out after me.

"Catching a ride!" I cried over my shoulder, quickly calculating the time it would take for a Chitari jet to zoom underneath my feet. "This is my fight, too."

Before Loki could say another word one way or another, my time ran out. I took one step off of the ledge, the solid structure disappearing from under my feet. The panic rang through my system for a split second before I landed on the back of one of the Chitari's vehicles.

It wasn't long after that I spotted the lone Quinjet from the Helicarrier crash down towards the ground directly in front of Grand Central Station. I yanked on one of the Chitari's shoulders, directing myself down towards the sidewalk. As I hopped off the vehicle, the Chitari immediately gathered behind me, holding their guns in front of them.

Apparently, they could sense a leader when they saw one, as disgusting as they were.

I chose not to handle my sword this time, figuring it would only slow me down. Judging by the crowd that exited the Quinjet, I had made the right decision.

Steve, Pandora, Natasha and Clint stopped in their tracks when they saw me, the latter immediately drawing his bow and arrow towards me.

"Welcome to our grand re-opening of the city," I announced, laying my gaze on a very concerned Pandora. This was the first time that I had truly seen her since we arrived in this universe, and although Loki warned me of her fate earlier, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

It seemed I wasn't the only one who changed, after all.

"Val," Pandora breathed out, shaking her head. I wondered what she saw when she looked back at me. "What are you doing?"

I tilted my head to one side, my eyes sparkling with a challenge. I was itching for a fight, and I knew I could provoke both Natasha and Pandora easy enough. This was going to be fun.

"I'm winning this war," I replied, smiling towards them all.

Steve took a step forward, his gaze just as concerned as Pandora's was. "You're Loki's Queen," he observed to which I bowed in response. It was nice to be greeted appropriately.

"In the flesh."

Clint, on the other hand, still held his bow and arrow taut in my direction. To be fair, I didn't completely blame him. "Don't underestimate her," he put in. "She's just as dangerous as he is."

I gave him a sympathetic glance, wanting more than anything for him to remember the potential that Loki had given him. We had a bond, one that he would never have with the Avengers.

"Clint."

He wouldn't even let me speak. "Don't even," he warned, his eyes narrowing.

"Clint, we had a great partnership. Can't we go back to that?"

"Yeah, a partnership where I was brainwashed. Nothing that I said was actually me."

Okay, that one hurt a little.

I tried not to let it show as I clenched my jaw, keeping the emotions bottled inside. I knew I could easily put him in his place, but this was not the time. He was trying to provoke me, just as I was them.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Clint practically spat. "I have some Chitari to kill."

He fired the arrow he was holding steady, whizzing right past my ear and landing in the head of one of the aliens standing patiently behind me. They weren't about to be patient much longer.

A growl erupted from another one of their mouths, and I knew I couldn't hold them back. "I tried to give you the easy way," I said before taking a running start and kicking Steve square in the chest.

Natasha and Clint tackled the Chitari behind me, firing everything they had towards the aliens.

Groaning, Steve got back to his feet, swinging his shield in my direction. I dodged it at the last minute, seizing the opportunity to fight him face to face. I had to admit, it was thrilling.

"We've got civilians trapped!" I heard Natasha shout from behind me.

Steve shifted his gaze away from mine for a moment, acknowledging Natasha's announcement. It was a moment too long as I caught him off balance, sending him flying to the ground, his shield scattered down the street.

"I'm a little busy right now!" he strangled out towards the agents as they gestured for him to run save the others. That wasn't happening just yet.

I stalked my way over to the fallen soldier, a smirk growing on my face. This was almost too easy to change events. If I wounded Steve now, how was he going to be able to save New York? He was, after all, an integral part of the Avengers.

As I debated the best course of action, however, a blow struck the side of my head, temporarily crippling me towards the ground. Holding one hand to my head, I whipped my head around, glaring towards my attacker.

Pandora stared back at me, holding her gun by the barrel as she looked down at me. "I don't want to hurt you, Val," she said. "But if you lay another finger on him, I'm going to have to."

Steve still hadn't moved from his position on the ground, and I laughed at the irony of this entire situation. They wanted to lecture me about following blind leaders, but Pandora was doing the same damn thing.

"I guess we all do crazy things for love, don't we?" I voiced my thought aloud, the laugh fading into a smirk.

"Love is blinding," Pandora justified. "What I'm doing is what's right."

If only she knew the truth behind that.

"You have no idea what's right and what's wrong," I argued. "Everyone's perception is so reversed. They can't even see what's right in front of them and what they could lose." I laughed again, shaking my head. "You won't hurt me, Pandora. You don't have it in you."

"Is this a test?" she spat at me, and I could see that she instantly regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

I scrambled to the side, swiping up a fallen Chitari's gun before pointing it point blank at Steve's head. I had no idea how to use this, but my ploy was already set-up. I wouldn't have to use it. Pandora would do the rest on her own.

"Are you going to pass or fail?" I teased, watching the anger grow more rapidly on her face. I had her.

She let out a strangled cry before she knocked the gun out of my hand, tackling me to the side. There was nothing left for her.

"Steve!" she shouted, shoving our fight further and further away from the soldier. "Go!"

"You think you can hold them off?" Steve questioned, torn between helping his partner and helping the civilians that were at the mercy of the Chitari. I knew his patriotic duty would win out in the end.

As suspected, she didn't answer his question. "Go!" she finally shouted before I clocked her across the cheek. Pandora took a few steps back, shaking her head and resetting her jaw.

"You don't understand what's going to happen," Pandora said. "You don't know-"

I cut her off. "You're right, I don't know," I replied easily, catching her technique to distract me from my true goal. "But I know the plays, and I know what not to do. The way things play out right now, I lose. We lose. I'm not going to let that happen."

Pandora made a face. "Over my dead body," she snapped.

I took a step backwards, surprise showing across my features. That was not what I wanted her to say. I felt almost insulted that she thought I would allow something like that to happen to her.

"I won't kill you," I reassured her, "and neither will Loki. I've asked him to spare you and Emerald."

"Why?" Pandora scoffed. "Villains don't have souls, especially the god you claim to love."

"Because like it or not, I don't want to see you get hurt. Not like I did."

This time, it was Pandora's turn to be surprised. She squinted towards me in disapproval as she tried to understand my words. She would never understand where I was coming from.

"Like you?" she questioned with a shake of her head. "Val, this isn't you."

I took the few remaining steps to stand not a foot away from her, looking down at her through stern eyes. She didn't believe in me, not anymore.

"This is the real me, Pandora," I snapped. "Get used to it."

Before she could make another move, I slipped the gun out from her pocket easily, knocking her over the head with the butt of the gun. Revenge was sweet, but karma was even sweeter.

I took one last look at my unconscious friend on the ground before I tore off back into the crowd of screaming citizens. I had some ruling to do.


	39. Chapter 39

**PANDORA**

The motivation that rang throughout the room was nothing like I had ever felt before. Even when we were gearing up to stop Loki in Germany, it wasn't like this. This time, we had a purpose, even if it was built on a lie.

"Is this officially a revenge mission then?" I voiced out loud, following Steve deeper into the Helicarrier. It was time to grab our things and vacate the premises.

Steve shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't call it revenge," he replied. "This is honoring her memory."

"Even if-" I tried to reason, trying to soften the blow when Emerald did return before it even happened.

"She was one of us," Steve clarified, stopping in his tracks and putting a hand on my shoulder. "No matter what Fury says."

There was a window of time that we had to head to New York to stop the battles before they got worse, and this conversation was not helping the timeline.

Steve's concentration, nonetheless, worried me. He snapped back into soldier mode, something that I haven't seen in him since the day we first met, and I wasn't sure what to make of that. We had made such great progress between us, and a part of me wondered if all of that could be erased. I didn't want to find out.

Natasha and Clint approached us from down the hallway, the same look of determination shining on their faces. Steve raised an eyebrow as he laid eyes on them, nodding in Clint's direction.

"Who's this?" he asked bluntly.

Clint extended a hand, an apologetic expression on his face from everything he had been forced to do. "Agent Barton, I apologize-" he started to say, but Steve didn't let him finish.

"Don't," Steve interrupted. "It's an honor." He shook his hand, a stern but appreciative gaze crossing his face. "Steve Rogers."

I physically butted in front of Steve, a true smile appearing across my lips. "Agent Pandora Whitman," I said.

Clint turned to Natasha with a raised eyebrow, keeping his other eye trained on me. "So, this is the one you won't shut up about?" he teased her.

I could have died of happiness in that very moment.

Natasha Romanoff was talking about me to her partner.

Natasha, on the other hand, tossed Clint a glare. "Can you keep your mouth shut for once?" she snapped, although it didn't matter to me. I was on cloud nine right now.

She turned back to us a moment later, nodding towards the aerial bay around the corner. "We're grabbing a jet and heading into the city," she announced. "Stark and Thor already left, Coulson and Hill are staying here to monitor the situation from above, care to join us?'

I smiled, unable to keep the genuine excitement from my face. "It would be our pleasure," I responded, answering for both Steve and me.

The agents fiddling about the plane only looked half-surprised to see us hijacking the jet. After all, we had done more than enough to save all of their asses.

One of the more arrogant agents stood up straight, opening his mouth to speak something probably illiterate. Steve shook his head, holding up a single hand.

"Son," he said, not even looking the agent in the eye. "Just don't."

As Clint and Natasha settled into the pilot and co-pilot seats, respectively, I ran a nervous hand through my hair. I barely felt the plane lift off from the ground and shoot into the sky around us, letting the clouds pass through the wings of the Quinjet carelessly. It felt so different than the first time I flew in one of these.

Maybe it was due to the fact that Clint, an experienced pilot, was flying for once, or maybe it was due to the fact that I was actually getting used to this.

In order to squash any of thoughts of that notion in my brain, words just seemed to pour out my mouth without any realization that I had done so.

"We're not going to jump out of this one, are we?" I questioned, half-kidding.

Natasha glanced over her shoulder towards me with a soft smile. "Clint's flying so we should actually be landing this time," she said with a slight wink.

"I will never be over that," I grumbled under my breath.

She was still half-facing in my direction with a pleasant expression, and I knew this was my chance. It was the only one I had left.

"So, you never did give me a solid answer," I declared, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Natasha tilted her head to one side, not sure where I was going with my line of questioning.

"You said if the mission was successful, you'd let me know if you would be my supervising officer," I stated as calm as I could manage, despite my rapidly beating heart.

Natasha smirked in my direction, shaking her head. "Technically, the mission led to a greater catastrophe," she pointed out to which I simply waved my hand, dismissing the claims.

"Details, details."

At least, she didn't turn me down. I still had a chance.

Natasha let out a small laugh before readjusting her headset on her head, glancing over at Clint. It wasn't a no, that was for sure. I could live with that.

It was soon that Stark Tower came into our view, as well as the onslaught of aliens that it brought with. I leaned against the window, my mouth falling open at the sight of the Chitari in person. This was absolutely horrifying.

I glanced over at Steve, standing next to me with an infuriated expression on his face. He looked just as shocked as I did, but there was something darker behind his eyes. The fear from before crept back into the pit of my stomach. I was way out of my league here.

"Stark," Natasha barked into her headset. "We're on a three, heading northeast."

"What, did you stop for drive-thru?" I heard his electronic response, and a part of me was glad to see that at least his sarcasm wasn't lost.

Whatever else he might have said was completely lost on the rest of us as we rounded the corner of the building, laying eyes on Thor and Loki battling it out on the roof.

"Nat?" Clint warned, steadying the jet reluctantly.

My heart leapt into my throat once more as I came to the very real possibility that Valencia was in the building with Loki too. This time, I wasn't just taking down Loki. I had to take down her too.

Natasha practically smashed her fist into a button on the dashboard, grunting out, "I see 'em," to Clint. Before she could do anything, however, Loki caught wind of us approaching, sending a blast from his scepter careening in our direction. As much as Clint tried, he couldn't outfly a bolt of magic.

It clipped our wing, sending a horrible alarm blaring through the jet. I resisted the urge to clamp my hands over my ears as we were sent spiraling towards the ground. Falling backwards into the plane, I grabbed Steve's hand involuntarily as my hands scrabbled for something to hold onto. I finally settled on a hook on the side of the jet, my sweating hand slipping out of Steve's.

When the plane settled on the ground, dust scattering around us, I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding in. That was followed by a very large groan emitting from my lips.

"Maybe we should have jumped, after all," I tried to lighten the situation.

Clint practically leapt up from his seat, slinging his bow and arrow across his back. He threw his headset down against the dashboard of the plane in frustration.

"At least I landed the plane," he pointed out, helping Natasha out from her seat as well.

Thankfully, no one was majorly injured. We did have aliens to fight, after all.

We exited the plane carefully, avoiding the smoking engines and wings at all cost. At least, I was. Steve, on the other hand, was nearly leaping over debris so he could get a good look at the aliens falling from the sky.

I let my hand cover my mouth in shock as I felt the panic and terror from the city settle into my system. "Oh my god," I whispered, unable to help the horror from taking over.

How the hell was I supposed to fight off aliens with my two guns.

"We gotta get back up there," Steve declared, his gaze still resting on Stark Tower itself. "Stark, are you seeing this?"

"I'm seeing," Tony responded, my earpiece buzzing in my ear. "Still working on believing." There was a slight pause as we stood there in shock. "Where's Banner?" Tony questioned, breaking our silence. "Has he shown up yet?"

Steve shook his head, pressing a hand to his ear to make sure he heard Tony correctly. "Banner?" he repeated.

"Just keep me posted."

That was when I saw her.

She looked like Valencia Flint, she stood like Valencia Flint, she even talked like Valencia Flint. But no matter how many times I blinked, that was not the Valencia Flint that I knew that was standing in front of me.

It was a hardened version of herself, and it terrified me.

The woman that was there a few feet away was capable of terrorism, mass murder, and conspiracy to the highest degree. Every second that passed was a second that she had given up being with Emerald and I… to be with Loki.

Time seemed to pass slowly the longer she spoke to us, to Steve, and especially to Clint. My brain barely registered the words she was saying. She didn't have a single ounce of regret in her body anymore.

That was how I found myself standing in the middle of the Grand Central bridge, staring dumbfoundedly at Steve and Valencia fighting while Natasha and Clint took care of her alien friends. It was until that Valencia had Steve pinned to the ground that my soul seemed to return to my body.

I wasn't even thinking straight when I hit my former friend over the head with the butt of my gun, knocking her to the side.

"I don't want to hurt you Val," I breathed out, hurt ringing clear in my eyes. "But if you lay another finger on him, I'm going to have to."

Valencia only laughed, furthering the anger pooling in the pit of my stomach. "I guess we all do crazy things for love, don't we?" she questioned, taunting me.

I clenched my jaw, stiffening my entire body at her statement. The little piece of me that still wanted to believe my friend was still in there somewhere came back to life in my brain, reminding me that what she had done with Loki was not so different than Steve and my relationship.

Except Steve Rogers wasn't a terrorist, murdering innocents right in this very moment.

"Love is blinding," I spat. "What I'm doing is what's right."

"You have no idea what's right and what's wrong," Valencia retorted. "Everyone's perception is so reversed. They can't even see what's right in front of them, and what they could lose." She paused, shaking her head. "You won't hurt me, Pandora," she added. "You don't have it in you."

She was right. I wasn't going to hurt her unless I was provoked, and she knew exactly how to provoke me. It was infuriating.

"Is this a test?" I asked, still holding my gun in my right hand.

That was when Valencia held a gun to Steve's head, and I snapped. I had never felt this much anger in a single moment as I did right then. Unlike before, when numbness consumed my body, time seemed to pass in double time.

I really didn't want to hurt her, but she was making it very difficult.

When I voiced those concerns aloud, however, I was shocked at the response I received.

"Because like it or not, I don't want to see you get hurt, either. Not like I did."

I shook my head in disbelief, physically taking a step backwards. "Like you?" I questioned, concern filling my gaze. "Val, this isn't you."

Apparently, those were the wrong words to say to an angry ex-best friend turned terrorist.

The next thing I knew, I was unconscious on the cold hard concrete ground of Park Avenue. That was exactly how I wanted to spend my day.

I hadn't even been aware I was knocked out until I felt someone slapping my cheek. I pried open my eyes reluctantly to see Natasha's concerned gaze hovering over mine. Forcing myself back to the present, I struggled to sit up, holding a hand to my head.

I definitely had a concussion. Awesome.

"Wake up!" Natasha was still shouting at my hazy system. "There's no slacking on the job."

I swore, popping my ears and rubbing the dirt from my face. "Jesus Christ, that hurt," I finally said when my senses returned to normal. "How long was I out?"

Natasha leaned back with a sigh of relief at my recovery. "A few minutes at most," she explained. "Long enough for Val to escape, and Clint and I to secure the bridge." She held out a hand, hoisting me back to my feet. "You alright?"

That was not the question she should be asking me right now.

"My former best friend just knocked me unconscious," I decided to state the facts instead of voicing my opinions.

Clint made his way over to our side, hitting me on the back to bring me back to reality. "I know the feeling rather well," he replied.

"I was trying to help," Natasha retorted, rolling her eyes.

Clint only smirked. "Eternally grateful."

I shook my head one last time, readjusting my guns in my belt. "So, what's next?" I asked.

"Steve and the police are setting up a perimeter around the city," Natasha stated, glancing around us. "Trying to get civilians out."

I nodded. "Where's Tony?" I asked as I squinted towards the sky, trying to spy a flying red suit.

"He's taking out as many aliens as he can get his repulsion beams on," Clint said. "Revenge is a great thing." He stopped in his tracks, allowing a sadistic smile to appear on his face. "Speaking of-" he tried to say, but both Natasha and I sent him a glare.

"So not the time," Natasha snapped.

I frowned slightly, trying to remember the continuity of the movie. I could have sworn that Tony was the first one to battle with Loki, followed by Thor, not the other way around.

"He hasn't been up to Stark Tower yet?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

Natasha shook her head, sending a pitying expression in my direction. "I don't think he's ready to face Loki yet," she said.

"That's a showdown I do not want to miss," Clint replied with a snort.

Natasha loudly grabbed one of the Chitari's scepters from the ground, cutting off her partner from saying anything else inconsiderate. I merely loaded one of my guns, pretending to look more upset than I actually felt.

The only thought that was racing in my head was how long it was going to be until Emerald returned.

"Alright gang," Natasha announced, earning both of our attention back to her. "Let's keep these Chitari occupied."

I thought she would never ask.


	40. Chapter 40

**EMERALD**

It took significantly less time than I anticipated for the Avengers to arrive in New York. I wasn't sure whether that was flattering towards the cause that I put forward, or whether I should be worried how they would treat my arrival. I figured it would be the latter.

I hid out in the shadows around Grand Central until I caught a glimpse of Natasha and Clint's Quinjet crashing, just like it did in the movie. At least for now, I set everything back on the right path.

I baited my time, giving my friends a few moments to get used to the Chitari all on their own. I had to make this count.

When I saw Tony flying towards the top of Stark Tower, I knew that was my cue. I had a chance to take out Loki and explain myself to Tony alone. It was now or never.

"Great work, Maitland," I muttered to myself as I headed into the building that I once called home. "Let's see how you talk your way out of this one."

Luckily, from living in the vicinity for months, I knew which floor the bar that Tony and Loki had their conversation over was on. I only hoped that the minor details remained the same. I lucked out.

I untucked my gun from my belt, holding it with two hands in front of me as I quietly approached the sound of the voices echoing throughout the abandoned building. A part of me wished Valencia was here too, so I could have one last opportunity to try and change her mind. I knew I wouldn't be able to.

She was too far gone.

I ducked around the last corner, pressing my body against the wall. The gun remained clutched in my two hands. I peeked around the corner quickly, catching a glimpse of Tony behind the bar, silently putting on his wristbands of the latest suit. Loki, on the other hand, still held his scepter in one hand, stalking towards his prey.

"You're missing the point," Tony was saying. "There's no throne, there's no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. 'Cause if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it."

The words sent a chill through the spine, a good distraction from my pounding heart in my chest. It was a wonder that the pair didn't hear it from across the room.

I heard Loki's laugh before I heard his words, his voice still as silk as ever. "You seem rather confident," he teased.

"I'm not doing it for me anymore," Tony retorted.

My organs seemed to clench themselves at Tony's words, hearing the hidden pain behind his determined tone. It seemed I played a bigger role than I anticipated.

"Oh, what a change in the arrogant one," Loki commented. "You continue to surprise me."

If I was staring at Tony, I knew his eyes would be blazing with the same fury that burned when it was Phil who was the one gone. Only this time, it was more personal. I wasn't expecting that.

"You are the reason she's dead," Tony snapped, his footsteps betraying his movement in the room behind me. "And I won't let you hurt anyone else."

The shock was clear in Loki's voice, and yet, he played it off. "Dead?" he questioned. "Whose life did I end this time?"

Of course, he would play along. Loki was the God of Mischief. He would always play along for a good trick.

Tony, however, was not about to condone his flippant attitude. "You son of a bitch," he cursed, his words cutting off as Loki grabbed his throat. I could hear the cry of strangulation, and it almost prompted me to make my grand entrance.

Something still held me back.

"How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you?" Loki teased again.

It was seconds later that I heard the familiar clink of Loki's scepter pressing against Tony's arc reactor in his chest. There was a long pause as he attempted to mind control Tony again.

"This usually works," Loki commented, perplexing.

"Well, performance issues," Tony joked, and a part of me wondered how he was capable of doing that with Loki's hand squeezing his throat. "It's not uncommon-"

Unlike the movies, he never finished his teasing speech. I heard another cry of his airways being crushed by Loki, and I knew that was my chance. I wasn't going to have another one.

I took one final deep breath in and out before I spun around from my hiding spot, holding my gun at eye level. This time, I wasn't going to hesitate.

"Drop him or I'll drop you," I threatened, my gun aimed directly at Loki's back.

Unfortunately, my eyes made contact with Tony's first, and I was a first-hand witness to the range of emotions I found there. At first, it was disbelief, his eyes widening from a mixture of lack of air supply and the shock of seeing me standing there… alive. Relief and adoration were next, the one I tried to avoid. Then, right as Loki started to turn around at the sound of my voice, it was something rawer. He was hurt by my actions.

"Well, well, well," Loki said with a sadistic smile, still holding Tony in one hand off of the ground. "Look who has come to save the day. Your Prince Charming is not doing so well, I am afraid."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering if Valencia was the one who taught him all of these modern-day Midgardian references. I didn't have time for questions, however.

"I mean it, Loki," I repeated myself. "I will shoot you."

Loki only smirked wider, arrogance winning out in the end. That would be his ultimate downfall. "Are we really going to play this game again?" he questioned.

This time, I didn't hesitate to put a bullet straight in his shoulder, causing his hand to fall from Tony's throat. Tony collapsed to the side, frantically hitting his wristbands to try and get his latest suit operational.

Loki let out a bark of a laugh, surprising me at his actions, as he yanked the bullet out from his shoulder. I knew it wouldn't do much damage. I knew my Asgardian history about what could actually kill a god.

"Someone grew a pair in the past twenty-four hours," he hissed, getting back to his feet reluctantly.

I tilted my head to one side, my gun already locked and loaded for the next round. "If you ever touch him again, I'll make sure that bullet hits a more vital organ," I warned him, now standing directly in front of the god.

"Is this love, Miss Maitland?"

I knew he was trying to coax me into another fight, one that I would definitely lose on my own. I also knew that Tony was still lying not ten feet away, listening to every word that we said. Despite that, I was the distraction until JARVIS deployed Tony's suit. I had to keep it interesting.

"What did you tell me before?" I pretended to think, putting my hand to my chin. "Ah right, love is weakness, but you wouldn't know anything about that."

I vaguely heard Tony call out to JARVIS again, but I pushed that aside. If I didn't devote all of my energy to the god standing in front of me, I would make this entire situation worse.

"If you are referring to my Queen-" Loki started to say, but I wouldn't let him finish.

"She's not your Queen," I interrupted. "She's your mortal play toy, and it's time you admit that to her before it's too late."

Loki chuckled, seemingly impressed by my words. "You grow stronger by the day," he changed the subject, clearly having no desire to answer my question. "I must say that you continue to impress me."

That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

"I don't want your approval," I practically spat in his face. "I know my own value. I know what I'm worth, and it's a hell of a lot more than you."

If Loki wanted to respond to my words, he never got the chance.

Even with my gun at the ready, I was still shocked when Tony fired a beam from his suit, shooting Loki out the window and crashing to the decks below. The scepter scattered from his hand, but I wasn't worried. This was all playing out exactly how it was supposed to.

I finally breathed out a sigh of relief. Problem one was taken care of, now onto problem two.

Spinning around, I dropped my gun to my side, letting my free hand run through my hair. "Tone," I said breathily, my gaze searching for his.

He wouldn't even look at me.

"If you're expecting a thank you, don't hold your breath," he said, the electronics of the suit muffling his voice.

I knew the hostility was coming. I expected that.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I was going to tell you, but it was too late-"

The swoosh of Tony's helmet popping up, revealing his pained expression, jarred me out of my sentence. I wasn't even sure where to go from here.

"Too late for what?" he questioned. "Tell me, what exactly are you apologizing for?" He paused, gesturing wildly with his hands. "The fact that you were acting as Fury's bitch for months or that you pretended to be dead to get a team of misfits together?"

I inwardly cursed, reminding myself to give Fury a good smack down whenever I saw him next. Of course, he would take the opportunity of my supposed death to reveal all of my secrets. He simply wanted to wash his hands of me.

At least, that was one more secret that was out in the open.

I sighed, not even sure where to begin. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness," I said, "and I don't expect you to believe me. Tony, I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you. That was the only reason I agreed to Fury's orders. He thought that I would be a good addition to whatever stability you thought you had. When he wanted too much, I quit. I bet he left that detail out."

Folding my arms across my chest, I knew that it would take some time for my words to process and register in Tony's brain. "I didn't want to leave you," I added before he could say anything. "I'm not sorry for what I did. It was the one thing that I did that felt right… that made up for all of the wrong that I did. I'm only sorry that I had to hurt you in the process."

Tony and I stood there for a while, staring into each other's souls. That was the most personal connection I ever felt to the man, and we were miles apart.

"Well, you're right about one thing," he finally responded, flipping his helmet back down. "I'm not ready to forgive you. Save the apologies, Em."

I squeezed my eyes shut as he flew out the broken window. Trapping back the tears behind my eyelids, I cursed under my breath. I wasn't sure how I was expecting that conversation to go, but it was nothing like that.

"Get your shit together, Emerald," I mumbled to myself, heading to the bar and leaning my head against it. "You're an Avenger now." I wiped the tears from my cheeks, popping a nearby earpiece into my ear, and taking one more deep breath. This was my war, too.

The earpiece buzzed to life, motivating me to hurry back to ground level where the rest of my friends would be waiting. I just hoped that they would take it better than Tony had.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve was talking in my ear.

"Emerald's alive."

Tony's flat voice sent a painful reminder barreling through my head. I winced slightly as my feet touched the concrete surface of Park Avenue.

There was a small, "Oh, thank god," from Pandora's end of the earpiece, and a wave of fresh air flooded through my system. I wasn't so lost, after all.

As I finally laid eyes on the group of superheroes, conversing together, I let out a sigh. They all turned to look at me, a range of different reactions passing through their brain.

"I hope I didn't miss out on too much fun," I commented, trying to lighten the mood from everyone's expressions.

Pandora practically ran to my side, engulfing me in a giant hug. "Thank you for coming back," she whispered in my hair while she continued to squeeze me tightly. "Don't ever do that to me again."

"I'm sorry," I apologized to her first before I took a look around at Steve, Natasha, Clint and Thor just staring at me. "I'm sorry to all of you. I didn't want it to be this way, but I saw what needed to be done." I paused, looking down at my hands sheepishly as I remembered Tony's reaction to my speech. "I knew that you had to become the Avengers. In order to do that, you had to avenge something."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "That doesn't change the fact that you lied to us, multiple times," she pointed out.

She had a point, but coming from her? That was rich.

"I understand-" I started to say, but I stopped when I felt Thor's hand rest on my shoulder. I barely knew these people around me and here they were, just as angered and motivated by my supposed death as Tony was.

"Is what Nicolas Fury said true?" he asked slowly.

I nodded begrudgingly. "Yes," I said. "But only to a point. He left out the part where I quit his services because he was asking for too much. He blackmailed me into being his spy. Trust me, I never wanted it."

Before anyone could say anything else, however, Pandora physically stepped in front of everyone else. "Emerald was always one of us, no matter what," she clarified before turning back to me. "You don't owe us an explanation. Without you, Loki would have taken over the city by now."

I didn't deserve Pandora.

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to think of something more reasonable to say. It was unsuccessful, to say the least.

"The team wasn't complete without you," Steve finally spoke up, a wide grin appearing on his face. "Welcome back, Emerald." He clapped his hand on my back, following Thor's lead.

I didn't even know what to say.

"So," Steve said softly. "Did you see anything while you were up there?"

I shrugged my shoulders, grateful for the change of subject. "The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," I commented.

"We gotta deal with these guys first," Tony said in my ear, causing me to practically jump out of the skin. I almost forgot he was still listening.

Natasha nodded, glancing at the aliens flying above our heads. "How do we do this?" she asked.

"As a team."

I tilted my head to one side as I glanced towards Steve, biting my lip. It shouldn't have been that easy to just come back, and yet, I knew that we all had bigger issues at hand here. I could prove my worth later.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor commented, brandishing his hammer.

Clint tilted his head to one side. "Yeah, get in line," he added, already loading an arrow into his bow's notch.

I knew I was in the running for next in line with Loki, but I had to admit, putting a bullet in his shoulder was pretty satisfying.

"Save it," Steve said. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us…" He slowly trailed off, his mouth falling open as Bruce rode up to greet us.

Whatever I had been through, he looked a lot worse.

"So, this all seems horrible," he tried to crack a joke.

I smiled towards him, chuckling at the fact that I had basically tried the exact same thing. It was a horrible feeling to encounter, showing up after everyone thought we were gone, but I could sympathize.

"I've seen worse," Natasha commented, her disdain now turning to him instead of me.

Bruce threw her a guilty expression, not sure what else to do. "Sorry."

"No," Natasha continued. "We could use a little worse."

Steve held a hand to his ear as he tried to make sense of the earpiece resting in his ear. "Stark, we got him," he informed the only member of our party currently not in our surroundings.

"Banner?" Tony immediately answered.

"Just like you said."

I could almost hear the smile appearing on Tony's face at the sighting of his friend. "Then tell him to suit up," he responded. "I'm bringing the party to you."

At that exact moment, a crash erupted from above our heads, shaking the ground from underneath our feet. Tony appeared from the midst of the glass raining down upon the city, followed by a very angry-looking Chitari ship. I had to admit, it was much more intimidating in person.

"I-I don't see how that's a party," Pandora beat Natasha to the classic response, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Doctor Banner," Steve said, turning to Bruce who was just now clamoring off of his motorbike. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Bruce only tossed us all a sly look. Everyone had definitely underestimated him.

"That's my secret, Cap," he commented. "I'm always angry."

Watching the Hulk's transformation before my eyes was nothing like I had ever experienced before. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. It was honestly breathtaking. If Bruce wasn't on our side, I would definitely be feeling a different way, though.

Bruce immediately launched himself into the air, slamming into the body of the alien ship and sending it careening towards the ground. My breath caught in my throat as I ducked away from a falling beam, Pandora and Natasha diving underneath Steve's shield. Explosions racked around us, adding more chaos to the fire already brewing in the heart of this city.

I stood back up, holding a hand in front of my eyes to observe the damage in front of me. It threatened to consume my entire body with dread, so instead, I allowed for my gaze to shift to the people around me.

This was the infamous scene in the movie where the team was assembled for the first time, and here I was, a part of the whole thing.

If it wasn't for Pandora, I definitely would have lost my mind.

My friend in question shook her head, letting the moment end. I wondered if she was going through the same thoughts in her mind, but I didn't quite have time to bring up the sensitive subject.

"Guys," she called out, pointing to Loki overseeing the destruction from his place at the top of Stark Tower.

Tony turned to the center of the circle, nodding towards us. "Call it, Captain," he announced, handing over the reins to Steve.

Steve didn't waste a second.

"Alright, listen up," he announced. "Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

Clint slung his bow over his shoulder immediately. "Wanna give me a lift?" he questioned towards Tony, who wasted not a second to get away from me.

"Right," he responded, wrapping an arm around Clint's shoulder. "Better clench up, Legolas."

I let out a loud sigh as the pair flew off in the sky. Pandora threw me a sympathetic glance, tilting her head to one side as she heard my exhale. There was something else written on her face, but again, there was no time to ask what exactly happened in my absence.

"Thor," Steve continued, ignoring my outburst. "You gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up."

Thor wordlessly let his hammer carry him up to the top of the Chrysler building, and my mind did no part of processing how he was able to do that.

Pandora, on the other hand, was currently shaking her head with mock disapproval in Steve's direction. "And you tell me to watch my language, huh," she commented, a teasing smirk appearing on her face.

I had to smile at the sight of the pair. At least, someone was happy.

"Natasha, Emerald, secure the tower, and find Valencia and Selvig. When the time comes, I want the portal closed, and everyone dealt with accordingly."

I raised an eyebrow towards the super soldier. "That won't be easy," I commented, already thinking of what would happen when I saw Valencia face to face.

"Why do you think I chose you?" Steve responded, gesturing to Pandora standing next to him. "If I let her handle Valencia, she'll just get knocked unconscious again."

There was definitely a hidden story there that I didn't know about, but if Pandora and Valencia already crossed paths, this wasn't going to be pretty. Nonetheless, I didn't question. I was honored that Steve thought so highly of me.

"Square deal," was all I said before I gave one last reassuring smile towards Pandora.

She was going to be fine, I kept reminding myself. She was Steve's partner, and I doubted that he would allow anything to happen to her.

"I've got a ride up to the tower," Natasha commented, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You find your friend. I have a feeling it's going to be hard… considering-"

I folded my arms across my chest as I darted in front of her. "Considering that she used to be my best friend?" I questioned. "Or considering that we're both close to Loki? What are you implying, Natasha?"

"I'm implying that you faked your own death for us," she said, making a face. "While that's noble, you didn't see what we all went through. I was the one who led you to Loki. It would have been my fault if something really happened to you."

"Nat-" I tried to explain, but she clearly wasn't ready to have this conversation.

She shook her head. "You're a good person, Em," she continued, her voice betraying her, "but you don't think about what your actions do to other people. You didn't have to see the mess you left behind. I was there when everything went to shit. I never want to see that look on Tony's face again."

I stood there in shock as she continued to lecture me, tears threatening to prick at the corners of my eyes. It seemed my day of surprises was just beginning.

"You should know by now, Maitland. I shouldn't have to tell you."

With that last statement, Natasha found herself on the back of one of the Chitari motorbikes, flying in the sky towards the top of Stark Tower. I, however, was left standing in the middle of the street, drops of water staining my cheeks.

Her words kept repeating in my head over and over again before I had to physically hold my hands over my ears to block it out. I couldn't think about the people that I hurt without first confronting Valencia. I needed my strength for that.

I just wasn't sure what to expect next.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Warriors - Imagine Dragons

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	41. Chapter 41

**VALENCIA**

The battle was very anti-climactic, from my point of view. I knew Pandora and Emerald were doing their best to help the Avengers stop the Chitari's destruction of this city. From my end, however, there wasn't much to do.

Aliens were causing damage across the metropolitan area, despite the perimeter that Tony had set up. I knew there was a lot going on between all of the fighting, and other than my initial introduction, the role for me in this battle was quite minimal.

The only thing that was on my mind was changing the storyline before Loki and I lost this battle again.

I had to find the Avengers before they found me.

Before I could even think about getting my act together, however, I heard a dark rumble emerge from the building behind me. My blood froze in my system as I recognized the sound. Spending months on Asgard trained one to realize what the sound of Thor's arrival was.

Spinning around on the spot, my eyes locked on Thor's sadly. The look he was giving me was not one of sympathy anymore. We both knew the conversation that we had on the Helicarrier was in the past. This was different now.

"Thor."

He took a few steps towards me, his steps loud against the concrete street. "Lady Valencia, we need to talk," he boomed.

I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms across my chest. I was in no mood for talking.

"Do we?" I questioned, tilting my head to one side.

"This madness stops here," he declared, gesturing with his hammer towards the sky. "You are way over your head with this."

I felt my breath catch in my throat as he voiced my worst fears aloud. I immediately shut down the thoughts, praying he didn't pick up on my involuntary moment of weakness.

"I couldn't stop this, even if I wanted to," I said truthfully. I needed to sound as indifferent as possible. "I don't control them. I'm not even sure Loki knows how to control them."

Thor stood there, shaking his head in clear disapproval. "I wish things had turned out differently for us, Lady Valencia," he stated.

"How?" I snapped, already done with this conversation. "You and Odin had all of your preconceived notions just from a single dream I had. If anything, it's your fault that I'm here in this situation." Thor looked taken aback, but I wasn't done. He unleashed the beast inside of me.

"All I wanted was to return to Midgard, to try and get back to the shell of the life I had, and I told anyone who would listen. It turned out your father had the capability of doing that the entire time. No one ever said a word. How am I supposed to believe anything you say?"

Thor's angered face faded slightly the longer I continued to speak. "I am terribly sorry for my father's actions," he apologized. "But I am not my father. He overreacts when it comes to… delicate situations. We thought… we all thought Loki was gone, and-"

"Except he wasn't. For some reason, he spoke to me in my dreams, and I was punished for that. What was I supposed to do, Thor? Tell me."

"You were supposed to trust me!"

I took a step back, caught off guard by his words. Trust was a capability that I barely had these days. Thor was not someone that I would actively consider trustworthy, despite his actions towards me.

He was hurt, betrayed, and for once, he finally knew how Loki felt all of those years.

"I wish things could be different between us," I finally said softly before I unsheathed my sword from its holster around my back.

It was an unspoken threat, and I knew Thor understood my intentions from the way that he clutched his hammer even tighter. There was no other way out of this situation, as much as it pained me to admit it. Thor was too high-strung.

He took a few strides closer to me, tilting his head to one side. "Lady Valencia-" he started to say, a warning tone to his voice, but I was done talking.

With a single cry, I swung my sword in his direction, causing him to block my swipe with his own weapon. I knew Mjolnir couldn't be broken that easily, so instead, I chose to remember our days on Asgard instead.

However, as much as we sparred, the pain behind Thor's eyes was different than our training days. The raw grief that I found settling in his body was something I could have never expected. He wasn't just in mourning for his brother; he was in mourning for me, too.

It was due to that alone that I found myself easily able to keep up with him. It wasn't until I saw the shield from my peripheral version that I knew I had lost.

Ducking away from the new weapon, I turned to face Steve, standing there with a dark expression on his face. A part of me wondered what happened to Pandora and why she wasn't at his side, but I didn't have time to go there.

"You don't want to do that," I said calmly, although my beating heart was betraying my thoughts.

Steve didn't budge, glancing over my shoulder to meet Thor's eyes. "You couldn't get through to her?" he asked his teammate as if I wasn't standing there.

I didn't wait for Thor to answer before I swung my sword over my head, colliding with Steve's shield. The clang that ran throughout the street was deafening, but I wasn't about to let that weaken me.

Using his shield, Steve knocked me to the side, sending me scattered on the street. Blowing a piece of hair out of my eyes, I let out a tiny irritated groan. I definitely didn't have the patience for battling both of them at the same time.

"Do you even know why you're doing this?"

This time, Steve directed his question towards me, giving me a glance that clearly thought I was in over my head. While a nagging part of me knew he was right, I wasn't about to admit that.

"I'm doing it because it's the only way to prove that we're strong enough," I answered honestly, getting to my feet.

Steve shook his head. "Why do you need to prove yourself so badly?" he asked. "You have friends who cared about you, who still care about you, despite everything you've done."

"If you're referring to Emerald and Pandora, clearly they haven't told you the whole story."

Thor took a cautious step towards me, blocking me between the two Avengers. "You do not know their whole story either," he commented. "You have barely seen what they have become, how they are trying to save you-"

The lies were getting unbearable.

"I don't need saving!" I practically screeched.

The pair looked taken aback by my outburst, and I used that opportunity to push Steve against the wall of the closest building. As I held my sword to his throat, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do anything about it. I didn't have it in me.

Upon that realization, my heart sank in my chest, causing me to take multiple steps away from the soldier.

"Tell them that I'm sorry," was all I said before I pushed past the two self-proclaimed heroes and headed down another street.

My head started to spin as I realized what was happening to me. I was questioning my reality, my stability, and that was all because Steve didn't know how to keep his mouth shut. I saw the way Emerald and Pandora were attached to their new heroes. In theory, I was going to take everything away from them, but a part of me knew that it would end my humanity.

Either way, I was done for.

An arrow flew past my vision, jerking me from my thoughts, and I glanced upward to see Clint perched atop the forty-story building, shooting Chitari from the sky. Clint, on the other hand, was a promising redemption.

When I finally burst open the door to the roof, I heaved a sigh as he spun around on the spot, knocking an arrow in my direction.

"That won't be necessary," I said, not bothering to move any closer to the archer.

Still, he didn't budge. "Take one more step closer, and this is going in your eye," he threatened.

I held my hands in the air, knowing the seriousness behind his accusation. He wasn't just upset with how Loki mind-controlled him. He was furious.

"I won't," I promised, still holding my hands in the air. I left my sword downstairs in the building, hoping that I could reason with the archer without resorting to extreme circumstances. "I only came to talk."

"If you couldn't tell," he said, punching another alien in the face as it climbed up the side of the building. "I'm a little busy right now."

I smirked. "I couldn't," I stated untruthfully. "It seems you're the least valuable of the team."

"If you're trying to win me over, it's not working."

His saddened eyes betrayed his flat tone of voice. He still had all of his memories from when he was working for Loki and me, and I knew he recalled how close we became. The process of remembering, however, was not a strong one.

"What I'm saying is that you were better with us," I clarified, still not moving from my position by the door. "You were valuable. We… I needed you, Clint."

"I was also brainwashed," he snapped, still holding an arrow in my direction.

I shook my head, refusing to let up. "But you were still you," I pointed out. "Whether you want to admit it or not."

"I'd care not to admit it," he said before he punched another Chitari off of the roof with his free hand. "Can you tell your friends to back off, if we're truly having an honest conversation here?"

I shrugged my shoulders, unable to comply with his request even if I wanted to. "I don't really control them," I replied. "I'm simply their ruler, and they only know one command. Destroy."

"Seems a bit of waste," Clint said, peering over the side of the building to see if there were any more aliens approaching. From his expression, it seemed we were in the clear for now.

I sighed. "Let's be real here for a second," I commented, pretending to think. "Would any of your new friends save you if you were in real danger? Would anyone care if you simply fell off of this roof?"

"I'm one of them now," he answered so quickly that it seemed rehearsed. I was getting somewhere.

"Doesn't mean you're needed," I explained. "With us, you were."

I overstepped my line of thinking, taking a small movement towards him. I hoped that by the end of this, I would have my friend back, this time voluntarily.

"What did I say about moving?" he snapped, pulling his arrow taut against the string again.

So much for that.

"I know," I responded quickly, shooting my hands back in the air. "I know."

"I'm an Avenger," he retorted. "I may not have super strength, or a super suit, or the power to control lightning, but I'm an Avenger. I'm one of them whether you, me, or they like it or not. I'm doing my duty to protect this nation, and I will stop whoever stands in my way."

This time, it was Clint who moved towards me. I took a deep breath, not shifting even a muscle in my body, as he pressed the tip of his arrow against my forehead.

"And that includes you."

I closed my eyes, surprisingly enjoying the feeling of the metal against my skin. It sent goosebumps across my arms as much as they were burning from standing still for so long. Hearing Clint's breath contrast against my own sent my heart beating in spirals. This man was dangerous today.

"I don't want to hurt you, Val," he whispered, using the curved edge of his bow to shove me backwards.

My eyes flew open as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. I grabbed the side of the door for support as my gaze searched Clint's. It was clear a part of him still wanted to have the same friendship that we did before, but there was too much damage now.

"I just wanted to make you understand," I said softly before I stepped off the side of the building, landing on another Chitari ship and flying into the sky.

I had another friend to find.


	42. Chapter 42

**PANDORA**

Steve left my side for a matter of minutes, and I was already feeling overwhelmed. I wasn't sure where he went, and I definitely wasn't sure how I was going to be able to hold off all of these aliens by myself. If I wasn't clinically insane by the end of this, it was going to be a miracle.

My eyes lit up at the sign of my partner returning again, a suspicious thin line of blood trickling from his neck. I wanted so badly to ask if he was alright and where he jetted off to in a hurry. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, simply smiling in his direction before I shot a few more Chitari in the face.

"Steve," I said softly in between gunshots. "None of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."

There were a few moments where I only heard the clang of Steve's shield against the metal armor of the Chitari, and then I heard his heavy breathing at my side once again.

"Language," he huffed, although I noticed the smirk on his face.

"Are you for real right now?" I asked, shaking my head in clear disapproval.

A few more aliens approached us, causing us to jump back into action as quickly as we left it. I really had no idea what I was supposed to do next. It was hard to compete with a vibranium shield-wielding super soldier.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it," he finally responded, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

I raised an eyebrow, running my tongue over a cut in my lip. "Maybe it's not about guns," I observed, trying to push the plot forward without seeming like a fortune teller.

"Nat's already heading up there to check it out," he said. "How she's gonna find a ride is a different question."

As if on cue, I caught a glimpse of the red-haired assassin running around a corner of the building, a Chitari gun clutched in her hand. She dropped it dramatically in front of us, tilting her head to one side.

"I've got a ride," she said, smirking as her plan unfolded in her head.

I folded my arms across my chest in disbelief. "Where the hell did you come from?" I swore before I felt a sideways glance from Steve. "Don't even say it," I snapped in his direction prior to the comment that was sure to spill out from his lips.

"Making sure that I wasn't followed," was all Natasha said. She glanced from side to side, noticing the absence of aliens around us currently. She shrugged her shoulders before her gaze drifted towards the sky instead.

"Loki and Val are out there somewhere, and I'm not going to let them ruin this plan anymore," she said, a tint of outrage filling her voice. She turned to Steve, her eyes shifting towards his shield. "I could use a boost though."

Steve followed her gaze to his weapon of choice and then back to the sky. It was clear that he was not so on board with Natasha's plan. "You sure about this?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Natasha said, laughing in spite of herself. "It's gonna be fun."

I raised an eyebrow. "Good luck," I said. "Loki's not going to make it easy."

Steve prepared himself, ducking behind his shield as Natasha continued to glance around for the perfect opportunity. I exchanged a worried glance with him without the spy's knowledge. I only hoped that she knew what she was doing. The last thing I needed was someone to mess anything else up.

"Oh," she finally responded. "I'm counting on that."

Her statement only worried me even more.

She took a running start before she leaped, planting her feet atop the shield and propelling herself into the air. By the time Steve got back to his feet, Natasha was already gone, swinging herself around on a Chitari aircraft. It didn't necessarily look like a bad way to travel around.

"So, what happens now?" I asked Steve, allowing a tiny smile to appear on my face. I wasn't sure what else I could say or do at this point. It was beginning to feel useless.

Steve paused for a minute, his thoughts running a million miles a minute. "We create a diversion," he finally said.

"What?"

This I definitely didn't remember from the movies.

"Just follow my lead," Steve teased before he took off running down nearby streets. I knew he was hoping that the streets were the same pathway as when he lived here all of those years ago, and frankly, I was, too. I was already lost.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of!" I called out after him, but I still followed nonetheless. He knew I would always follow.

We emerged around the corner, and I halted in my tracks, the lights of the city blinding me. There was only one place I could possibly be at this hour that would render me sightless, despite the destruction occurring around us. That was Times Square.

Holding a hand over my eyes, I turned to Steve who was glancing around in complete awe.

"Times Square?" I questioned, squinting. "Whatever your plan is, we have to act fast."

There was no way the Chitari weren't already onto us. Whatever Steve wanted to do, I knew I was one of the only people who could actually help him.

He stood there, examining all of the screens before he settled on the largest one, hovering over the Forever 21 and Disney stores. "I need to get up there," he stated as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"The big screen," I said, still in complete disbelief that he knew what he was talking about.

Glancing around wildly, I started to comprehend what he was asking me to do. The majority of the screens were cracked or damaged, causing the takeover to prove more difficult than I realized.

"Go big or go home, right?" he said with a teasing grin.

I smirked, shaking my head. He was throwing me off more and more by the minute. "I'm proud of you," I commented. "Give me two minutes."

I darted into Forever 21 a second later, my eyes darting around the space. To my utter surprise, I found quite a few employees still wandering about the store, ducking behind the desk when they saw me walking through the door.

"Hi," I said, finding my SHIELD badge in my jacket and showing it to the employee in front of me. "Agent Pandora Whitman, Avenger." I smiled at the title before continuing, "I need access to your big screen."

The employee stared blankly at me as if he wasn't seeing me in the slightest.

"Now," I added sternly, my gaze darkening. I was not about to deal with idiots anymore.

The clerk cleared his throat, getting to his feet and glancing quickly at my badge. His eyes darted back to my face before he nodded quickly. "Right this way, Agent," he said, unlocking the door behind him and entering into what looked like a technical room.

"Awesome," I said, my eyes practically bugging out of my socket at the system I saw in front of me. "You rock."

The employee still continued to stand there, his wide-eyed gaze still staring into my soul. I paused, turning around as I remembered the number of workers I still saw wandering around the building.

"What are you still doing here?" I exploded, waving my arms frantically. "The city is under attack! You should be evacuating!"

He shook his head, spluttering, "I-I-I didn't want anyone-" before I took pity on him and cut him off.

"Anyone coming in and stealing clothes?" I finished his sentence. "I don't think crop tops and shorts are in style with the Chitari." I rolled my eyes as he spun on his heels, darting out the door and out of the store. "Ignorant," I muttered under my breath.

I made my way over to the large computer looming over me, analyzing the applications open. Pressing my hand to my ear, I switched my earpiece back on, squinting at the screen in front of me.

"Hey Em," I said cautiously. "How do you hack into computers?"

There was a crackle before she responded with a crisp, "What?" and I could almost see the shocked look on her face.

"I need to hack into the mainframe of all of the screens in Times Square," I stated matter-of-factly.

"How the hell do you think I know?" she snapped in my ear.

I didn't take it personally. Emerald was going through a lot right now, and I didn't blame her for being preoccupied with aliens… or a billionaire.

No judgment, at least not externally.

"Well," I answered, letting out a long sigh. "Val's the computer geek, and she's a little busy right now. Hence, I'm asking you."

There was another pause, and I almost thought Emerald switched off her own earpiece. However, I knew I was playing the Valencia card, and if she was listening, she would help me.

"Alright, alright," I finally heard her response. "You're going to need to find the access codes to all of the monitors in Times Square."

This time, it was me that was appalled by her answer. Unlike Emerald's few classes in computer technology, I had absolutely no clue what I was dealing with.

"How do you suggest I do that?" I questioned.

I had sent home all of the employees in the store. I was utterly alone here.

"Got 'em," Tony answered in a matter of seconds, catching me completely off guard. "You should be receiving them… right about… now."

In a second after his response, I found my screen going completely dark. I opened my mouth to retort back to Tony that his genius mind failed me. Another minute passed, and lines of code popped up on my screen. My mouth still fell open.

"How-" I started to stammer in complete shock.

I could almost hear Tony laugh from the other end. "It pays to have an AI on your side," he chuckled.

"Alright, sweet, now what?"

Emerald responded instantaneously. "Wait until the codes have filed in, and then enter down to run them," she said, seeming to understand the urgency of my mission.

"Kay," I spoke when I did what Emerald said. The codes themselves were way beyond my recognition. I just wanted to type out "PLEASE HELP" and see what happened. That was the scope of my knowledge.

"What message are you broadcasting?" Emerald questioned.

"A video, I think."

"Do you know the a href coding line?" she asked again, barely hearing my answer.

My fingers froze from where they were hovering over the keyboard, waiting for instructions. "Em," I said slowly. "That's the only line of coding I know."

"Perfect," she retorted. "Do that."

I immediately started typing, inserting the inputs and outputs easily, thanks to Tony's help. I barely had to do anything. Giving myself a mental reminder to thank JARVIS later, I leaned back, waiting for the codes to start filing in.

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when a new window appeared on my screen. The chair almost flew out from under me as I shifted forward towards the keys once more. It was at least doing something productive.

"Pandora," Steve said softly, his voice sounding at least a little shocked. "It worked."

That was way too easy, but still, I wasn't complaining.

"Are you for real?" I exclaimed. "Get in here!"

Footsteps erupted from the door behind me as Steve practically ran through the store. I glanced over my shoulder eagerly, catching his surprised gaze with my own. My mouth was still wide open as the code started to file itself before our eyes.

"What happens now?" Steve asked, his eyes flashing with further confusion at the technology shown in front of him. If I was perplexed at the complexity, I couldn't imagine what he was thinking.

I grinned at Steve from where he was leaning over the back of the chair I was sitting in. "You wanted a distraction, right?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Swiveling my chair around, I managed to pull up the webcam on the computer despite the code flying past my vision. Managing not to flinch at the sight of my own battle-worn face, I turned back to Steve.

"Start talking."

Steve nodded, catching his own face in the front-facing camera. I pointed to the tiny camera at the top of the computer, hitting record as I left the frame. This wasn't my show.

"There are still civilians out there," Steve said, his eyes not leaving mine. "Get them out."

I saluted him mockingly. "Roger that, Captain," I stated before I paused in my tracks. "You know that sentence is extremely ironic-"

The words just slipped out of my mouth.

"Just go," he laughed, shaking his head.

I chuckled right back at him, holding his gaze for one more moment before I turned around and headed out the door behind us. We were one step closer to solving this battle. I couldn't tap out now.

My earpiece crackled once more, causing me to press my hand to my ear. "Yeah?" I asked, not sure I was hearing correctly.

"Pandora," Clint said, his voice crackling. "The bank on 42nd past Madison. They corned a lot of civilians in there."

"I'm on it," I stated before I took down the street, hoping that I knew what street I was looking for. The street signs around New York always confused me, let alone the fact that I had only been living here for a couple of months.

My internal skills still continued to surprise me, however. A few moments and a stitch in my side later, I found myself staring at the bank Clint mentioned earlier. Clutching my side, my breath coming in short gasps, I tried to summon up the courage to go in there. I knew the Chitari had the place surrounded.

In the real movie, this was Steve's job. Now, I had him distracted somewhere, broadcasting a message for all of New York to hear. It was a nice twist, but I didn't have super-human strength.

I took a deep breath, untucking my gun from my belt. "Here goes nothing," I whispered to myself before I took another running start towards the building, sending myself crashing through the window and rolling into the floor of the bank.

"God dammit," I swore before I got to my feet. "That actually hurts."

The movies made crashing through glass look so easy. Real world update, it wasn't.

As if on cue, the Chitari turned to me all at once, firing their alien weapons in my direction. I emptied one of my cases of bullets into the backs of about half of the aliens in the room before I saw the grenade heading towards me. That was definitely a Valencia weapon.

I darted behind the nearest overturned desk as I kicked the grenade back towards the Chitari, but it seemed I mishandled the force I would need to handle the weapon. My back crashed against the concrete sidewalk prior to my realization of what happened.

Groaning, I struggled to my feet again, my head spinning. If I didn't have a concussion before, I definitely had one now. "Ow," I groaned to myself, squinting upwards towards the bank.

There were no more aliens in sight, which meant I at least was able to do one thing right. Police were surrounding the area, escorting the civilians out of the bank and out of the perimeter Tony created. I sighed in relief, one hand still pressed against the side of my head in pain.

"Agent Whitman, is it?" I heard the voice from the other side of my stinging head.

I shook my head, trying to regain my sense, as I came face to face with a New York police officer. Nodding slowly, I dropped my hand that was caressing my face and shook the man's hand.

"That would be me," I admitted, not even questioning how he knew my name anymore. I was famous now.

The policeman sent me a clearly gracious glance. "Thank you," he babbled, bobbing his head towards the bank I just saved. "And the rest of your team as well."

I sent him a warm smile in return, my blood running warm and joyous despite my pressing injuries. "They don't call us Avengers for nothing," I replied, unable to keep the tiny victory from replaying in my brain as I darted away from the scene.

Okay, maybe I wasn't so useless after all.

"Alright Clint," I said, darting throughout the war-torn streets. "What else you got?"

There was silence emitting from the other end of my earpiece, and I guessed that I caught the archer at a bad time. My feet led me back to Times Square without my knowledge as I continuously checked every window of every building to see how many more we had to evacuate before this battle was over.

That was when I finally saw Steve's message.

My legs stopped me in my tracks, freezing me to my spot as I laid eyes on a larger-than-life version of the super soldier.

"My name is Captain America," he was saying. "And I need each and every one of you to listen to me. There is a war going on outside your windows. These are battles that none of us can win by ourselves. I want to be able to say that we, the Avengers, we're here to protect you, but I once promised the American people I would be an honest face. We need your help if we're going to attempt to win this war. The Chitari will not stop until all of you are dead. Don't give them that chance. Save your family, save your friends, but most importantly, save yourself. We can't protect the world if there is no one left to live in it. Don't be a hero today. That's our job. Your job is to not give this army what they want… your destruction. Together, we can win this war."

A small smile appeared on my face, my spirits soaring at the sound of Steve's speech. I didn't know how much I needed inspiration to continue this battle, but I felt instantly more at ease.

Movement out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention, my head spinning to see a gaggle of teenagers wreaking havoc in an abandoned store. I rolled my eyes, cursing under my breath.

"Why are people so dumb?" I voiced my thoughts to no one in particular as I reluctantly headed into the building to save these idiots. Clearly, Steve's message hadn't gotten through to them.

I wasted no time to fire two shots in the air of the building, earning screams from the civilians. They scattered out of the door behind me and out on the street. "I swear to god, people are so idiotic," I muttered under my breath before I followed them back outside.

"Clint, Tony," I tried again in my earpiece. "Do you see any civilians left in buildings?"

The archer responded first this time, clearing his throat. "I'm clear," he stated. "Everyone's out of the perimeter or taking shelter in their homes."

"One public building left, according to JARVIS," Tony joined the conversation. "Head two streets down from your current location, Ginger."

"Got it."

I stood in the last building for a few moments after the civilians were handled, taking advantage of the silence that erupted around me. For just a second, there were no gunshots, no growling aliens, and no screaming humans. It was a nice breather.

I should have known it wasn't going to last.

When I turned around to head back out the front door, I came face to face with the God of Mischief himself.

"Oh great," I groaned. "This is exactly what I needed."

Loki tilted his head to one side, entering the premises. "I had a feeling that we would meet again," he purred. I wasn't one to fall for his tricks.

"I was hoping we weren't," I responded honestly, holding my gun up to eye level. "Now, please, get out of my way."

He raised a careful eyebrow, following my line of sight to where the bullet would lodge in his chest. "You would not shoot the object of your friend's affection," he stated, although I secretly wondered who he was trying to convince in this situation.

"You're pathetic," I laughed before I pulled the trigger.

Granted, I angled the gun a little further down, hitting his leg instead of his chest. It still felt good. As much as I wanted to end the smug little expression he had on his face, I knew I couldn't actually do anything damaging. We already changed enough.

Loki still hissed, pulling the bullet out of his leg with a groan. I watched as his magic quickly healed the wound, but I wasn't even surprised. "You forget who I am," he snapped, his anger rising by the second.

"No, I know exactly who you are," I snapped. "And I'm not afraid of your little party tricks."

I made to move past him, frustrated with where this conversation was heading, but Loki grabbed my arm, halting me where I stood.

"If you walk out this door, you shall regret it."

The threat hung in the air for several seconds before I shook my arm loose, my forehead crinkling in a frown. I wasn't sure what exactly he was implying, but I would bet anything that Valencia was behind it. The only question was her intentions.

"The only thing I regret right now is not aiming for a more vital organ in your body," I lied.

"You prove yourself to be weak."

I chuckled, finally catching onto his plan. He was trying to tear me down, starting with my mind and making me doubt myself.

"Was that what you told Valencia too to get her wrapped around your finger?" I retorted, not holding anything back this time. Loki's expression faded slightly for a second, and I knew I was getting somewhere.

His hand gripped the scepter in his hand tighter as I continued to question him. "Or did you just tell her what she wanted to hear?" I challenged. "That she was a strong warrior, that she was the Midgardian that was different than the rest, that-"

My words were cut off as Loki's free hand slammed me against the wall. There definitely had to be a rule to stop banging my head into objects, or else second-impact syndrome was going to turn into fourth or fifth.

The look on the god's face, however, was what completely stalled my line of thought. It wasn't just rage and fury about me. No, what I said about Valencia clearly enraged him far more than I ever expected.

He dropped me from the wall a second later, a cough erupting from in between my lips as I attempted to catch my breath. Loki took a step back, his eyes still infuriated.

"I promised Valencia that I would not harm you," he said so softly that I thought I was making the entire thing up. "Otherwise, I would have killed you by now."

That was when it dawned on me.

"You really care about her, don't you?" I said slowly when my breathing finally returned to normal. "Like actually care about her."

Loki didn't answer, but he didn't have to. As he stormed out of the place, pushing past me with the same emotions shining on his face, I knew I was right.

Not only was Valencia completely in love with Loki, but he was most definitely in love with her too. This was going to be a problem.

Shit.


	43. Chapter 43

**EMERALD**

When I first caught the glimpse of blonde hair, I thought I was hallucinating. I wish I could say that I knew what exactly brought me to follow her, but I knew exactly why I was going about my actions.

Because a part of me still hoped that my best friend was in there somewhere.

I hadn't seen Valencia since the day I decided to pay a visit to Loki's lair. Honestly, that was where the mess first began, from the moment where I tried to fix things. And here I was, trailing a blonde woman that I wasn't even sure was her. A part of me wished that she wasn't. I wasn't sure I was ready to see what my friend had morphed into, what Loki had molded her into.

As she ducked into an alleyway, I shadowed her without question, leaving the familiar buildings of Manhattan far behind me as I headed deeper into the urban back streets. The thought of leaving the Avengers, Pandora and the invading Chitari army behind only briefly crossed my mind before scampering away.

However, as I stopped in the entrance to the alleyway, I frowned, seeing nothing but darkness unfolding around me. I knew I had seen her head this way, so, where was she?

I got my answer soon enough when a click of a gun being pulled back sounded from directly behind me.

I reluctantly raised my hands in the air in a sign of surrender, slowly turning around to be met with a barrel to my forehead. Trying to stare cross-eyed at the blonde woman, I backed away inch by inch until I had put a foot of distance between my attacker and myself. Yet, I made no move for my own weapons, especially when my fears were confirmed.

"Val," I breathed out, my blue eyes instantly welling up with tears at the sight of her.

Her clothes were darker, heavier set and clad with leather, similar to what I had seen Loki wear multiple times. Her face was scarred from what I presumed to be battle, and the expression that she wore was twisted. She was something dangerous, an enemy not to be reckoned with, and yet, I didn't move. She was my friend. I knew that because I could see it in her eyes, the one aspect about her that hadn't changed. Even if they were angrier and fueled with more fire, they were still the same eyes that I had seen the first day I met her.

She still hadn't said a word, and I still hadn't budged from my position.

"Please," I begged again. "Listen to me, Val. You don't have to do this. It isn't too late to-"

"It is too late," she hissed, still not lowering her gun to her side. "It's always been too late to save me, but you didn't care about that, did you? All you cared about was yourself. You said you wanted to protect all of us, but look exactly where that got us. Look where that got me."

I shook my head, my blonde hair swinging from side to side as I did so. "Val, I'm begging you," I pleaded. "I don't want to see you resort to this. I don't understand." She opened her mouth to retort, but I simply raised it even louder to drown out her complaints. "I want to understand. Make me understand."

"I'm not the sidekick anymore," Valencia hissed. "I'm not the one who was always one point behind the brilliant Emerald Maitland. I'm not the one who was wasting away their future. I'm not that person anymore, Em, and nothing you can say can make me return to that girl. I'm not weak anymore."

I was sickened.

"Did… Did Loki tell you this? Is this what you really thought?" I asked softly, my breath hitching in my throat.

She laughed maniacally, stating, "He didn't have to. His story is a lot like mine, it's a wonder we clicked, but what you thought you were doing at his side is beyond me. That's when it all got ruined." I froze, narrowing my eyes slightly, and she seemed to take that as a statement to go on. "You tried to fix something that wasn't broken. I had a handle on things. I was going to be his Queen, Em. I was finally going to amount to something. I could influence him to stop this, to find a better way-"

"No," I cut her off before she spoke any longer. This was getting out of hand. He was twisting her mind since the beginning, and it disgusted me. "He was influencing you. You never had any power, Val, you have to believe me."

"I was a Queen!" she shouted. "I have more power than you ever would." She shook her head. "You were jealous."

My mouth all but dropped open. "What?"

"Don't try to deny it. You were jealous, finally realizing that you don't always get to be at the top, and you wanted a piece of the power for yourself."

She was hitting me right where it hurt most, and we both knew that. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memories to go away, before reopening them a moment later.

"I didn't want any power, I wasn't playing a game, and I most certainly wasn't trying to screw you over," I said through an exhale. "I didn't even know you were there."

"Bullshit."

"Val, I didn't know you were there. If I did, I would have come for you sooner."

There was a slight pause, and I swept on before she could interrupt me again.

"Since I was thrown into this universe here, I spent every day of my life looking for you and Pandora. Finding Pandora was the happiest day of my life, finding you was the saddest because I could see what you were about to become. A pawn. You don't deserve that, you deserve much more, and if you felt like you weren't appreciated enough with us, then I'm so sorry. But Val, you have to stop this madness. You're letting innocent people die."

She took a step forward, bringing her gun further up against my forehead once more, but I didn't move a muscle. "No," she spat. "You're letting innocent people die. You're here, talking with me when you should be out fighting. You're not trying hard enough."

"Val-"

"You're the one who let all of these people die, not me," Valencia continued. "I had a plan to convince Loki to find some other realm to rule, and I was willing to make the sacrifice to never live on my home planet again to keep it safe. Then, you decided to waltz in and ruin everything. Your idiocy caused this."

"I thought-"

Apparently, I couldn't even get a word in anymore.

Valencia interrupted me again, "See, that's the thing, Emerald. You weren't thinking. You're just lucky that you kissed the right terrorist who wouldn't kill you."

"Val, don't you see?" I blurted out, trying to divert the topic. "If he really cared about you, why did he go after me?"

I held up a finger as she was about to protest that it was only an experiment of sorts. As much as I wished for that to be true, I knew it wasn't. I noticed the way our encounters were continuing since our first meeting. That was more than just a general hatred.

"I am a Queen!"

I shook my head sadly. "And how many women do you think he's told that to?" I questioned. "You're dispensable to people like him. I won't let you get hurt again."

Valencia took a step backward, her gaze becoming more and more furious by the moment. "You already did!" she exclaimed. "I've been hurt time and time again since the moment that I met you, but you were just too blind to see it. I'm as good at faking things as you are."

Tears started to well up in my eyes as I realized that I was fighting a losing battle here. Not just with the Chitari, but with this woman standing in front of me. She looked like my best friend, she talked like my best friend, except it wasn't my best friend who was still pointing a gun at me.

"So that's it then?" my voice cracked for the first time, showing my vulnerability. "You're choosing him, this fictional villain, over your friends?"

Valencia shook her head, stepping further and further away until it seemed like the darkness was about to swallow her whole.

"There never was a choice."

A sob emitted from the back of my throat before she turned around, lowering her gun for the first time, never looking back over her shoulder once at me.

"If I ever see you again, I won't hesitate to shoot you," she said.

And then, just like that, my best friend was gone, and I had a feeling that I wasn't going to ever see her again. In person, perhaps, but the person that I knew and loved was long gone.

It took all of two seconds for me to collapse to the ground, sliding down the alleyway brick wall and letting all of the tears pour out of my body. The waterworks never stopped flowing down my cheeks for a single instant, even as I covered my mouth with my hand in an effort to cease the loud cries. It didn't work.

I had never been in so much pain in my entire life.

I wasn't sure how long I was sitting there, staring at nothing with the tears staining my cheeks. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I could even move again.

Until a hand appeared at the edge of my vision.

I glanced up a moment later, my vision slightly blurred from the waterworks erupting from my eyes. It took several blinks for me to regain my focus, even the slightest amount, and I found myself staring at the muscled hand of Steve Rogers.

"I lost a friend too, you know."

I accepted his hand graciously, wobbling somewhat as I stood on my feet. "Did it hurt this badly?" I managed to get out before erupting into another sob.

In another moment, I felt myself being pulled against his chest in a tight hug. I didn't complain for a second, as my heart felt like it was being completely ripped in half. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be whole again after this painful experience of losing someone whom I trusted with my entire life.

"It still does," I vaguely heard Steve's response as I continued to let my tears soak his uniform.

We stayed like that for a few more precious moments before I pulled away, viciously wiping at the tears on my cheeks and swallowing the lump in my throat. I could be broken, but I could be strong too.

"I don't know why I came back," I admitted at last. "I'm not needed here. Hell, I'm not even wanted here."

Steve shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. "You're wrong."

I glanced up at him in surprise as he swept on with his words. "I knew from the first day that I met you that you were something special, Emerald," he said. "No one can put up with Tony for that long and live to tell the tale. Fury chose you for a reason, and like it or not, we do want you here."

"But-" I tried to protest, refusing to accept his words.

"Trust me, I'm America's hero. Would I lie to you?" he chuckled, trying his hardest to force a laugh out of me. It almost worked.

Another moment passed before he bent down to the ground, grabbing a hold of my gun that must have dropped out of my side belt when I collapsed. Steve straightened up, holding out his hand for me to take the weapon from. I only hesitated for a second.

"Now," he smiled. "Let's go destroy some aliens."

That got a smile out of me.

I accepted the gun, shaking my head, and didn't bother to tuck it into its resting spot. I had a feeling that I'd be needing it shortly.

"For Val?" he questioned, tilting his head to one side.

"No," I corrected. "For us."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Trigger - Phillip Phillips

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	44. Chapter 44

**VALENCIA**

My hands were still shaking as I walked back into Stark Tower. I tried to wrestle with my feelings, to put an end to whatever emotions I still had left, but I failed. I left Emerald in the alleyway feeling worse than I had before I spoke with her.

I wanted so badly to tell her how I never stopped thinking about her and Pandora, how I hoped they would see the truth behind my actions. They didn't. They were so blinded by the superheroes that they knew that they didn't even consider my side of things.

They would never understand.

That was why I found myself separating from my past to an even greater degree. There was nothing left for me back there. I just had to keep moving forward.

My head was down as I moved into another room, tossing the gun onto the couch. I left my sword here when I went to confront Emerald, but I missed it. The weapons that my friends were using were so trivial. I felt disgusting.

"I wasn't expecting to see you back here so soon," came Loki's voice from a couch across from where I was standing.

I only jumped slightly as I lifted my head, blinking back tears in my eyes. "It's done," I said softly, tracing my fingertips over the hilt of my sword.

"I beg your pardon?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm done," I clarified, my eyes darkening as I spoke. "The last remaining shred of the person I used to be is gone. I'm gone."

Loki tilted his head to one side. "And that is a good thing?" he asked carefully.

"It will be… in the end," I finally responded, although I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or me more. "What happens now?"

I desperately tried to change the subject as he continued to stare deeper into my soul. I knew his line of questioning wasn't going to end well.

Sighing, I took a seat next to him on the couch, trying not to think about the way the building was shaking from explosions around the city.

"We wait for the Avengers to fall," he said. "And when they do, because they shall, we will be there to rise up from the ashes."

I raised an eyebrow, turning my head to face him. "As the King and Queen of Midgard?" I inquired.

"Precisely."

Loki's smirk didn't do much to comfort my worries. I just kept replaying Emerald's broken face over and over again in my head, seeing her twisted confused expression.

"That-" I started to say before I cut myself off. "Seeing my best friend like that- knowing-" I wasn't even sure what I was trying to say or why I was even bothering. "That was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

I couldn't move from where I was sitting with my gaze straight forward. It was as if I didn't know how to do anything else anymore. Loki placed a cold hand on my cheek and directed my attention back to his emerald gaze.

"You are stronger now," he commented.

"Am I?" I questioned, doubt clouding my thoughts. "I just feel-"

"Like a Queen."

I pulled away from his touch, my skin prickling. "No," I spelled out slowly as I shook my head. "I feel weak."

A part of me wondered if Loki was being sincere in his line of thought, but it didn't matter. He was here in this room with me instead of being in the midst of the battle. That had to count for something.

"What happened to that strong mortal woman that struck fear into the hearts of every soldier?" he asked again.

"She died."

My answer came so quickly that I shocked myself as the words spilled out of my mouth.

"She died along with the Val that rolled over and played dead," I continued. "This is the new me. This is the broken version of what's left, and I… I don't want to be fixed anymore. I just want to be… wanted, for once in my life."

Silence lapsed in the space between us as my hands resumed the same gentle shake from before. I wasn't sure what else I could say that would make me feel anything but empty inside.

I felt Loki's gaze burning holes into the side of my face, but I refused to look up at him yet. There was a part of me that didn't want to see the expression he was donning. When I finally gave into the temptation, I was caught off guard as he pulled me towards him, kissing me deeply.

He pulled away after several seconds, and my breath hitched as I fought to catch my breath.

"I want you," he whispered.

I was extremely shocked at the evident display of emotions he was showing, and it took me back to the moment we had on the rooftop in front of his army. No matter what Emerald tried to convince me of, Loki was a changed person.

"Loki-" I breathed out, my chest rising and falling in time with my heartbeat.

"I want every single part of you, no matter who you claim to be. I have no idea why I am so attracted to you, but I am. I would not say that unless I mean it. You caught me off guard, Valencia Flint."

I felt a cold chill pass down my spine as he kept speaking, and I didn't waste another second to pull him close again. I kissed him deeper this time, and I knew that I wasn't going to let him go so easily. We were about to lose this war, but I wasn't ready to lose him.

"I'm sorry," I murmured when we finally separated. "There's something I have to take care of."

This was going to be my last idea on how to save New York from itself. I had to make one final change.

Loki looked surprised at my sudden exit, especially after the confession he just made. "Was it something I said?" he said teasingly.

I shook my head. "No, this is something I have to do," I replied. "I'm not going to sit back and watch them tear us apart any longer."

"You've done enough, my love," he purred.

The pet name caught me off guard again as I struggled to catch my thoughts as they scattered like the wind. "Have I?" I finally answered. "Because it seems that all I seem to do is ruin people's lives. The army isn't enough for the Avengers. The Chitari will lose if I don't do something about it." I paused, my voice cracking. "They will take you away from me."

Loki exhaled, running his hand through his hair. "And what do you plan on doing?" he finally relented, knowing he wasn't going to change my mind.

"I'll let you know when it happens," I commented with a small smile of my own before I practically sprinted out the door.

If this didn't work, I had no idea what I was going to do.

It only took me a few minutes to locate the phone number I was looking for, thanking whichever gods were listening that I still remembered my hacking skills. The dial tone rang in my ear for several seconds before I finally was patched through with a person. While they didn't say a word to initiate the conversation, I could hear inhales and exhales on the other end.

I was in.

"Is this the World Security Council?" I asked boldly, knowing for a fact that they weren't expecting that one.

There was a slight pause before the woman on the other end cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," she finally responded. "I'm afraid you have the wrong number."

"I'm afraid I don't," I said confidently. "My name is Valencia Flint. Perhaps you've heard of me."

Another pause relapsed on the other end. I drummed my fingertips on the side of Stark Tower where I was standing, watching the world burn around me.

"We're listening."

Okay, so that worked.

"Don't even try to track my location," I kept my same tone of voice, trying to inflict as much conviction as possible. "I'm destroying this phone as soon as I hang up. Besides, you'll catch me on the news."

"Why have you called us?" came the woman's voice, a crisp thin line at the other end of the phone.

I took a deep breath, knowing that I was speaking to the highest board of secrets at the moment. "Because I know of your plan," I said. "The one where you send a missile to destroy New York City and all of the people in it, which means that Loki and I have ample time to gather our army and head to… a different city, one that you won't be quick enough to relocate."

"Are you asking us to call off the missile?" she responded quicker this time.

"Precisely," I answered. "No matter what you do, we will win in the end. It's about time that villains get their happy endings."

The woman sighed after another long period of pause in which I assumed that she was conferring with her colleagues. "I'm afraid you mistake us, Miss Flint," she replied. "I'm not even going to ask how you got this number because I know that terrorists like you always have their ways."

I opened my mouth to interrupt her, but she seemed to have read my mind.

"Yes," she continued before I could speak. "You are not a villain, you are a terrorist, and we will do any and everything in our power to make sure that you are stopped."

I tried to calm my racing heart to not alert the officials on the other end how panicked I felt. "Even if that means killing your precious Avengers?" I questioned softly, afraid of the answer.

Before all of this, the meaning of a team was futile to me, but now that Pandora and Emerald were involved, everything was changed. There were so many variables that could go wrong with this nuclear weapon, including not just my own destruction but theirs as well. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"They were never ours to begin with," the Councilwoman interjected, separating me from my thoughts. "Fury went behind our back, and it's about time that we set things right."

Her comment threw me off.

From the way that she spoke, this was more about getting revenge on Fury and SHIELD for realizing the harm that the Council did rather than stopping Loki and me. That alone worried me. They were more dangerous than I was, at this point.

"What about civilians?" I asked.

"Cities can rebuild," she commented matter-of-factly. "It is worth it even if we kill a single member of your alien army."

I shook my head, despite the fact that I knew she couldn't see me. I was fighting yet another losing battle. "Call off the missile, and we'll rule peacefully," I said. "This is my final offer."

"The Council doesn't negotiate with terrorists."

At the sound of the dial tone, signaling that she ended the call from her end, I dropped the phone on the ground. The feeling of it slipping out of my hands was the only relief I felt in that moment. Not only did I fail at possibly saving the city of New York for once, but I also failed at conquering it.

It seemed I was a failure, after all.

"Shit," I swore under my breath before I took off running back inside Stark Tower. I had to find Loki before it was too late.

There was still one more thing we could do: run.

I practically sprinted back into the room where I left Loki not minutes ago, my heart racing in my chest. However, when I got there, my heart practically stopped beating altogether.

Loki was lying there on the ground, cuts and bruises surrounding every inch of his body.

"Loki, oh my god," I said, rushing over to his side. "What happened to you? Oh my god."

I, however, knew exactly what happened.

"The beast," he managed to croak out as he tried to get up from his supine position on the ground. "I am alright, do not fret."

I could see the winces continually crossing his face as he moved, and I scolded myself for leaving him in the first place. If I was here when the Hulk arrived, perhaps I could have done something differently.

It was a naïve thought, but one that made me feel guilty anyway.

"You heal fast, right?" I questioned, the words bubbling from my lips. "We'll fix you, alright? Just stay with me. We have to get out of here."

Even as I said it, I knew that he was in no position to go anywhere at this point. Wiping away a streak of blood on his forehead, I took a deep breath to try not to feel as panicked as I felt.

"There's a missile coming," I tried to explain. "It's over, Loki. We lost."

Loki outwardly groaned as he sat up, my hand still resting on his back. I knew he was in a lot more pain than he would admit, but I couldn't think about that. It would only make everything worse.

"I am not running from my fate," he finally said, squeezing my free hand tightly.

I tilted my head to one side, confused by his words. He was the one who always had another trick up his sleeve. There was no way he would give up now.

"Loki, you have magic," I swept on as if he hadn't said anything. "You can get yourself out of here and somewhere safe. We can still get out of this."

He shook his head, his fingertips sparking. He was testing something out, but from the dejected expression on his face, it wasn't going well.

"My magic is significantly weakened," Loki said, giving me a sad gaze. "I barely would be able to get myself out of range. There is no way I have enough to transport us both."

"Don't worry about me," I replied easily. "I'll find you. I can take care of myself."

This time, it was Loki who gripped my hand tighter, and this time, it wasn't from the physical pain he was feeling at this time. "I know you can," he practically whispered before he released my hand with a sigh. "But if you think I am leaving you willingly, you are not as smart as I thought."

"If they catch us here, they will tear us apart from each other anyway," I argued.

Loki gave me one more mischievous smile. "If the missile you say is coming hits us first," he said slowly. "I would rather perish at your side than be alone."

It definitely wasn't a standard display of affection, but it definitely was unexpected to hear from Loki's lips.

My mouth dropped open in shock as my eyes blinked furiously, trying to comprehend what he just admitted. He would rather die than never see me again. That was certainly something to consider.

"What?" he questioned as my slack expression remained on my face for several more seconds.

I shook my head, regaining my sense of time and space. "That has to be one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me," I stammered. "I just never would have-"

"Expected the god of no emotions to say something like that?" he interrupted, the smirk returning to his face.

I smirked back, scooting closer to him. "Yeah, something like that," I replied easily before I leaned my head against his shoulder.

If this was truly the end, it was worth it.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Never Tear Us Apart - Bishop Briggs

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	45. Chapter 45

**PANDORA**

I was sick and tired of these aliens.

If Valencia changed things enough so that she and Loki won this war, I was going to kill her myself. There was no way I would ever subject myself to slavery, especially at the form of whatever Loki would concoct.

Tossing another dead gun on the ground, I groaned outwardly, dodging another stream ejected from one of the Chitari's guns.

"Would you quit it!" I shouted in their direction, waving my hands wildly.

Apparently, that was enough to distract them for a moment. The aliens lowered their guns for a second, exchanging a glance of clear confusion. I took that opportunity to dart in the opposite direction, priding myself in the fact that I could still outrun them.

I rounded the next corner, practically barreling myself into Steve's chest.

"Hey!" I tried to sound as optimistic as possible. "How's my partner holding up?"

Steve let out a little chuckle, flipping his shield around and taking out the aliens approaching behind me. "I think I should be asking you that question," he commented, turning back to me.

I shot him a grateful glance until another laser beam appeared from the corner of my eye, knocking Steve right off of his feet. I grabbed one of the fallen Chitari's guns, shooting down the current aliens after us.

Wiping the dirt from my forehead, I sighed, holding out a hand for Steve to take. I used every inch of my body strength to haul Steve to his feet. My eyes flickered down to the fresh cut on his abdomen, making sure it wasn't currently bleeding or worse. I was satisfied with the thin pinkish bruise I found there.

"Ready for another round?" I teased him, tilting my head to one side.

"You getting sleepy?" Steve quipped right back.

I laughed. "You're cute."

Unhooking yet another pistol from my belt, I heaved a sigh, my muscles aching from the amount of fighting I was putting myself through today. I was lying to Steve and to myself. I was tired and had no idea how much longer I was going to last.

Natasha's voice appeared over the earpiece, causing Steve and me to stop in our tracks. "I can close it," she commented, and we all immediately knew what she meant. "Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!"

Oh, thank god.

It was like saved by the bell, but ten thousand times better.

"Do it!" Steve immediately shouted back, the excitement lighting up on his own face as well.

There wasn't even a pause before Tony's voice appeared, overlaying whatever Natasha was going to say next. "No, wait," he said, a defeated sound to his voice.

"Stark, these things are still coming in," Steve tried to argue, but I could feel my heart sinking with every second of silence that passed.

I knew what was coming next.

"I got a nuke coming in," Tony continued. "It's gonna blow in less than a minute, and I know just where to put it."

I let a small, "No," pass through my lips involuntarily, and Steve shot me a concerned glance. We both knew what kind of trip this was going to be, despite it being the beginning of the end of this battle.

"Stark," Steve mentioned cautiously. "You know that's a one-way trip."

I switched off my earpiece, not wanting to hear Tony's response. My eyes widened as every single possibility that could go wrong passed through my head.

"No," I mumbled again to myself. "There has to be some other way."

Tucking my gun back into my belt, I exchanged yet another worried gaze with Steve. He nodded in my direction, surveying the streets around us.

"Find her."

I immediately needed no other explanation for what Steve was asking. There was only one person who would be majorly concerned about Tony's safety, at least more so than the rest of us.

Everyone knew it.

I found Emerald a few streets over, blood trickling from a cut in her cheek as she fought off one last Chitari. I breathed out a quick sigh of relief at her safety before I shot the alien in the back, watching it fall to the ground and dissipate unceremoniously.

"You alright?" I asked her after she backed away, running a hand through her blonde locks.

She didn't answer for several seconds as she paced around in a tiny circle. When she finally turned back to me, she had tears in her eyes.

"What do you think?" she whispered, causing me to instantly envelop her in my arms.

"This is supposed to happen, right?" I heard Emerald's voice in my ear, and I pulled away, giving her a sympathetic glance.

I nodded, despite my doubtful thoughts from earlier, and took her hand gently. "Listen to me," I said. "This is exactly what's supposed to happen. Tony is the one who saves us all, remember? He's going to be fine."

Emerald still donned the same panicked expression that I felt in my soul earlier. No matter what I said, the words weren't going to change how she felt.

"I can't help thinking that I already screwed everything else up," she rambled. "What if he doesn't come back? What if we changed too much?"

"He will come back," I responded instantaneously, although I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince Emerald or myself more. "He has a lot to live for."

I gave Emerald a small smile, but she only shook her head in return. I never said anything to her about what Tony had told me on the Helicarrier, but I wasn't sure if that was my place. However, if Tony really was about to die, she deserved to know the truth.

"I never told him-" Emerald started to say, but I cut her off, placing my hands on her cheeks.

"Deep breaths, alright?"

If she hyperventilated and passed out, that was not going to help the situation at hand here.

I switched my earpiece back on as I let Emerald breathe heavily, hearing the sounds of my teammates still in battle. I tried my hardest not to let it affect me. This was where I was supposed to be.

"We're in the middle of the war," I continued to speak, holding Emerald's face in my hands. "We've survived this far. We're going to have to survive a little more."

We stood like that for several minutes, no alien in sight. A part of me wondered if that was coincidence or if Steve and the others kept this area off limits. Emerald was in no position to fighting now.

A familiar crackle sounded in my ear, signaling that someone was about to talk, and I gestured for Emerald to switch her own radio back on as well. She did reluctantly, and I breathed out a sigh of relief as Tony's voice appeared.

"Em?"

I exchanged a glance with Emerald herself, who instantly pressed a hand to her ear. If this was what I thought it was, Emerald was about to need me even more.

"Tony?" she answered. "I'm here. I'm here."

There was a loud sigh from Tony's end of the radio, followed by a subtle whoosh of the suit heading further and further into the sky. I was thankful that we were currently surrounded by high-rise buildings and therefore couldn't actually see Tony zooming into space.

"I just wanted to let you know that I… I'm sorry, and that's not something I say often," he said. "I should have forgiven you when I had the chance, and now it's too late. I realize that. You risked everything for us, for me, and I can't even attempt to imagine what doing that would be like." There was another pause. "But I'm going to try."

Emerald held onto the brick side of the building for support as she continued to listen to Tony's words. I kept my distance behind her, a small smile on my face. This was not the timing I had been hoping for, but it certainly was the confession I was.

"You're the real hero, Em," Tony continued. "Anyone would be a fool not to see that. If-if anything happens to me up here, I just wanted to tell you that."

The crackling sound intensified, causing me to wince at the sound. I knew Tony was beginning to go out of range, and that meant my cue was approaching.

"That, and that I have always l-"

Static sounded in our ears, causing me to swear under my breath.

"Tony?" Emerald shouted, desperate to hear his voice again. "Tony?"

I ran over to Emerald's side, pulling her into another tight hug as tears streamed down her face. Thankful that she had her eyes closed, my hand inched towards the gun tucked in my belt as I felt a presence behind her. I managed to peer over my friend's shoulder, making eye contact with about ten Chitari ready to kill us.

This was not going to end well.

As if on cue, the aliens roared as if a ghost stabbed them, falling to the ground all at once. I breathed out a sigh of relief as Emerald spun around in shock, still clutching to one of my arms. That was too close.

I gave myself a mental reminder to kill Tony the next time I saw him for making that too close for comfort.

"Come on, Stark," I heard Natasha mutter in my ear.

I knew they were all staring at the sky as the aliens perished before our eyes. It certainly tied up all loose ends pretty well.

Another few seconds passed before Steve spoke a subtle, "Close it," and I exhaled once more. I had to prompt myself to breathe, otherwise I would have been holding my breath this entire time.

Emerald stood frozen in front of me, her eyes unfocused. I waved a hand in front of her unsuccessfully before I placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump out of her skin.

"Earth to Emerald," I said, offering my hand. "I think we have some place to be, don't you think?"

She nodded slowly, but I could tell she wasn't all here. I thanked whatever gods were listening that the fighting was over for now. We were in no condition to do any more of that, both physically and mentally.

"What's the fastest way to Grand Central?" I questioned, trying to snap Emerald out of whatever trance she was in.

Apparently, that did the trick.

She shook her head, looking at me for a moment as if I grew another head. I didn't blame her. This was definitely a surreal moment. Tony all but admitted that he had feelings for her, I was standing here guns blazing, aliens were lying dead around us, and we were about to meet up with the rest of the team we were now a part of.

"Park Avenue."

As if struck by lightning, Emerald grabbed my hand, dragging me through the streets. When we reached the street we were looking for, she stopped her sprint abruptly. I skidded into the back of her body, but she barely seemed to even notice.

We stood there, feet away from where Steve, Thor and the Hulk were crowded around Tony's unconscious body. Luckily, we missed the part where Tony literally fell from the sky, sparing Emerald's mental stability to an even greater degree.

Steve glanced up at the pair of us for a moment, concern shining in his eyes, before he knelt down, checking Tony's pulse with two fingers.

"What did I tell you," I whispered in Emerald's ear.

Still, we were unable to keep our eyes away from the scene, especially when Steve moved away from Tony, shaking his head sadly. I, however, knew better.

As if he read my mind, the Hulk took the opportune moment to let out the loudest roar right in Tony's face. Even though I knew it was coming, I still levitated off of the ground.

I laughed at my stupidity, turning to Emerald who also donned a small smile at the scene. It proved that despite the changes we made to the film, everything still worked out in the end.

The laugh rapidly faded, however, when Tony didn't even budge.

Fear gripped my heart as all of my earlier suspicions came to fruition. Tony was supposed to wake up by now.

"Oh my god," I whispered in complete terror. "What have we done."


	46. Chapter 46

**EMERALD**

I felt like I was moving in slow motion.

There was a moment where I finally started to feel like myself again after Valencia left me shattered into pieces. I felt like I was a part of something greater than myself, and that was enough for what I was doing. I sacrificed so much to keep the people that I came to know and care for alive. That was all that mattered.

What I didn't realize would rattle me to the core, however, was the sound of Tony's voice, pleading for my forgiveness.

As soon as he came on the radio, his heroic deed already in his head, my heart began to sink to the pit of my stomach. There was a chance he wouldn't come back from this, and it would be my fault. Pandora knew my feelings right away, otherwise she wouldn't have been at my side the entire time.

I didn't want to admit it, but I was thankful she was there. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get through my mind games alone.

Hearing Tony in my ear, calling me instead of Pepper in the end, was the last straw for the remainder of my emotional status. I all but collapsed against the side of the building as the world was saved around us.

"If anything happens to me up here."

His words kept repeating over and over again in my head until Pandora and I rounded the corner to see him lying unconscious on the sidewalk of Park Avenue. My hands shaking, I kept repeating to myself that this was what was supposed to happen. It was normal, as normal as superheroes and alien invasions became.

As I watched with bated breath, I knew that something was going to go terribly wrong. I was already going to kill myself when he woke back up for giving me an unnecessary heart attack. Okay, maybe it was a little necessary to save the city. Still, I wasn't about to let his final words to me be remembered as an unfinished confession of feelings.

I knew exactly what he was going to say, and I wasn't sure if it felt worse knowing or not knowing. A part of me wanted to leave it alone, but being the emotional mess I currently was, I couldn't deny my own feelings anymore.

If Tony died, I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

That was how I found myself kneeling at his side with no recollection of how I got there, not even the Hulk's roar able to create a rise out of the body lying in front of me. Steve and Thor were there, giving me a sympathetic glance, and I could feel Pandora chasing after me from behind.

At that moment, I realized that I was naïve as hell. Everyone knew about our feelings for each other, except for each other. I was an idiot.

"Jesus Tony," I pleaded, separating his helmet from the rest of his suit so I could see his face. "Gods, please wake up."

Still nothing.

My heart was pounding faster than it ever had in my entire life, and the tears streaming down my cheeks felt like I was pouring my entire water content out of my body. This was entirely my fault.

"Please don't leave me," I whispered as I ran my hands across his cheek. "I can't do this without you. I really can't." Suddenly, it didn't matter that we had an audience anymore. I just wanted him back. "I'm stubborn and reckless and goddamn stupid," I continued, "but that's nothing compared to how I feel about you. I should have told you every day since the day we met, and now, I'm never going to get the chance unless you come back to me. Please don't die on me, Tony."

I leaned down without hesitation, pressing my lips to his cold ones in one last desperate attempt to make things right. A part of me chalked up my actions to the CPR training I received several times throughout my life, but the other part of me was just doing what every single Disney movie taught me. I wasn't sure which one was my answer, but at this point, I was willing to try anything.

"I love you," I whispered, my breath blowing against his cheeks.

The words just slipped out of my mouth before I realized I actually said them aloud. A blush flushed across my cheeks as I could feel Steve, Pandora and Thor's eyes burning sad holes in the back of my head. It didn't matter. They all knew anyway.

What I wasn't expecting, though, was Tony to bolt upright like he was shocked with a bolt of electricity, his eyes wide. I practically flung myself backward in complete surprise, my mouth falling open involuntarily.

It actually worked.

"What the hell!" he exclaimed, gasping. His chest heaved as he caught his breath back, looking around at the group of us, all staring at him in utter astonishment. Tony was alive. He was alive and sitting right in front of me.

He coughed, shaking his head. "Please tell me nobody kissed me," he stated.

I immediately shot Pandora a look of distress. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to say all of that again if he really didn't hear any of it. He barely seemed to notice the close proximity between him and I. A second later, a sarcastic smirk crossed his face, causing me to breathe out a long sigh of relief.

"I'm kidding, Em," he teased. "I heard everything."

A real smile appeared across my lips, the first one in what seemed like days. Relief was the only emotion I felt before Tony wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest and back into a kiss. All of my doubts from before washed out of my system instantaneously.

It had all been worth it.

This man was no longer just a fictional character or a celebrity crush. This was someone who I couldn't imagine living my life without any longer. I felt guilty as I realized that this was exactly how Valencia felt.

When we finally pulled apart from each other, I bit my lip, unable to keep the smile off of my face. "Don't ever do that to me again," I scolded him.

"Now, you know how it feels," he answered with an equal grin on his own mouth.

I laughed, leaning back and running a hand through my hair. "I suppose I deserve that," I admitted, resting the other hand on Tony's cheek.

Steve, on the other hand, was done with our public display of affection. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to the two of us on the ground. "If you two lovebirds are quite finished," he joked. "The war's not over yet."

"Oh joy," Pandora piped up. "Time to go see our evil best friend."

I glanced over at her, my stomach twisting in knots at the thought of what might happen to Valencia. No matter how guilty I felt about our other friend, seeing Pandora give me the cheesiest smirk was enough to get me by for now. I threw her a glare to back off, but I knew I was going to hear it later.

"Join the club," Thor added.

Pandora clapped a hand on the god's shoulder, nodding in approval. "Hey, that's a Midgardian phrase!" she exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you."

I slowly got to my feet reluctantly, holding out a hand for Tony to take. "What do you say, one last journey together?" I questioned, hauling Tony to his feet.

"And then a party?" he interjected, although I could already see where his mind was going. We had a lot to discuss.

Rolling my eyes, I playfully shoved him to the side, still in disbelief at the events of the past several minutes. If I pinched myself, I still wasn't sure if it would feel real.

"Let's focus on one thing at a time," I said, nervousness reentering my system at the thought of seeing Valencia again.

From the look on Pandora's face, she was thinking the same thing. A small part of my brain hoped that Valencia came to her senses, heading as far away from the city as possible. At least, then we might be able to meet up again at some point in time.

I knew she wouldn't do that. Looking at Tony again as we headed upstairs in Stark Tower, I knew how she felt. If given a choice, there was no way I would ever leave him again.

Sure enough, Valencia was right there where I expected her to be. I was slightly surprised to see Loki at her side, however, when I locked my gaze with his. Valencia had every opportunity to tell him to run, to use his magic, to disappear, but here he was still at her side. Perhaps they weren't so different, after all.

Perhaps Valencia wasn't as lost as she made herself out to be.

"We surrender," was all she said before they both placed their hands in the air. I didn't question it.

The rest of the Avengers took care of the pair of them thankfully. I wasn't sure if I could emotionally be a part of anything else taxing today. It had been an extremely long day.

That was how I found myself sitting on the couch in what used to be our living room, the numbness from the day spreading through my blood.

My eyes were unfocused when I felt the seat cushion shift next to me, signaling another person's arrival. I turned my head to the side, greeted by red hair.

"Hey," Pandora said, forcing a small smile on her face. "At least, this place still has a working prison of sorts… and an amazing view."

"You're not entirely helping," I commented, not wanting to think about Valencia locked away somewhere. "Locking them into two separate rooms isn't going to do much."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Tony prepared for a lot of things," she advised. "I think he can handle it." She paused as a smirk reappeared on her face from before. "Speaking of-"

I held my hands in the air in a clear sign of surrender before she could say anything else. I knew this conversation was coming.

"I don't talk about you and Steve," I exclaimed. "You don't get to talk about me and Tony."

Pandora's mouth fell open in protest. "There is no me and Steve!" she begged. "That is a very unfair rule. I'm not the one who just made out with her very hot boss to save his life, and then confessed your entire love for him."

I smirked at her recap. "Where is he now?" I questioned, changing the subject.

"You're impossible," she said with a sigh. "He's with Val."

"That should be an interesting conversation."

I had no interest to discover what Tony and Valencia were talking about, but I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. I hadn't told anyone what she said to me, other than the bits and pieces that Steve was able to make out, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to.

It was over.

In a few hours, Loki was going back to Asgard where I, hopefully, would never see him again, and Valencia was going to prison to await her trial. Granted, it was a prison that Tony owned, but I wasn't about to make matters worse for her. She was already being served plenty of justice.

I got to my feet slowly, shaking my head towards my younger friend. She raised an eyebrow in my direction as she folded her arms across her chest. It was clear she disapproved of my leave.

"And where do you think you're going?" Pandora asked.

"As far away from this upcoming conversation as possible," I said over my shoulder, tossing a smirk with it for good measure.

My feet found the pathway that I wasn't sure my mind was ready for. The past few hours were a blur, but if I ever wanted to move on, I knew I was going to need closure. As my mind wandered to that fact, apparently my legs followed suit.

I glanced up at Thor standing in front of me, blocking the doorway. While I wasn't expecting to see him, I also wasn't expecting to end up here.

"You should not be here," he voiced my thoughts aloud, and I gave him a wistful sigh in return. That made two of us who didn't want to be here.

"I know," I responded. "I know how you feel about him, but he's still your brother and you care about him. I feel the same way about Valencia." I let a defiant look cross my face as I met his eyes. "Before all of this madness, something happened, something I think neither of us can forget. I… I need this."

Thor tilted his head to one side, hearing my words but not making moves to assist me quickly. "The man of iron would not be pleased if he knew you were here," I said, to which I knew he was right.

"Well, he's not here right now, is he?" I pointed out with a smirk. "He knows about… all of this, and I promise it's in the past, but-" I broke off, hating the sound of desperation in my voice. "I need closure, Thor. Please."

Another few seconds passed between us. A part of me hoped he turned me away so I wouldn't actually have to see the god in question again, but I knew that if I didn't do this now, I would always wonder what exactly Loki saw in me.

"I can see that your mind is set on this," Thor said with a sigh. "I will distract your friends, but it will not be long before they notice your absence, so you must make haste."

"Thank you," I breathed out slowly, the weight already lifting from my chest.

The blond god moved to the side, unlocking the door behind him as he did so. "Be careful, Lady Maitland," he said sincerely. "My brother can be dangerous, especially now."

I nodded my appreciation one more time before I pushed open the door, shutting it quietly behind me. I let out another sigh, trying to collect my thoughts before I faced the god of mischief, but it seemed I couldn't even get a single second to myself.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to me."

For a second, I debated walking right back out of the door. That was a weak move, nonetheless, and I was not about to let him win.

"I came to say goodbye," I retorted as I finally turned around, my eyes sending knives with their gaze.

Loki let out a malignant laugh. "Do you honestly think you can dismiss me so easily?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't even know what to think anymore," I admitted. "Did I ever mean anything to you at all? Or was I just a pawn in another one of your games? Just tell me. I want to know the truth."

"The truth?" he questioned. "You finally wish to know the truth. I already told it to you." He tilted his head to one side, analyzing my appearance. "I never lied to you, Emerald Maitland. I manipulated the truth, twisted the truth, came up with some form of a demented truth, but outright lie? Why would I do that when this was so much more fun?"

I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to do something I was going to regret. "You know," I said, changing the subject to a game of my own. "I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would have never admitted my feelings for Tony." I nodded, allowing a small smile to appear across my lips. "I was lucky he felt the same way, despite everything I've done. I guess I'm finally happy."

"Are you now?" he asked coolly. "And I assume he doesn't know you're here?"

He was slowly catching on, but I was determined to stay at least a step ahead of him today.

"You have Val wrapped around your finger still, right?" I said, ignoring his words. "As much as I hate to say this, Loki, she's good for you. You're all kinds of wrong for her, but if she makes you a better person, I can't be angry about that."

Apparently, I got under his skin.

In a split second, Loki had me shoved against the wall, his face mere inches from my own. My breath hitched in my throat at the unexpected force.

"You may think this will be the last you see me," he whispered, a smirk crossing his face. "But you will never be able to get rid of me. Every turn of your pretty little head, every glance in the mirror, every crack in your fabricated reality, I will be there. I will never fade from your memories."

I shoved him backward, the anger rising in the pit of my stomach. I gasped from pure exhaustion, shaking my head in his direction. "You should start to learn that you can't always get what you want," I practically spat towards him.

Loki's sadistic smile never left his face as he adjusted his stance. "I already have," he teased one more time.

I definitely wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him, but at least, I knew some of the truth. Loki played me countless times over, but it was all for a reason. I intrigued him to some degree, same as Valencia, but there was a large difference between my ex-best friend and myself. I knew where the line was. I could tell Loki was barely threatened in his existence, but here I was, challenging him.

He thought of me as a worthy opponent. That was why I intrigued him.

"Goodbye, Loki."

I turned to leave, half-hating the fact that I would really never forget him and half-grateful that I got the closure I was looking for.

"This is hardly goodbye," he commented. "We have barely begun our adventure."

His remark paused me in my tracks. Either he suddenly had the magic to be psychic too, or he was trying to play one last game with me. I refused to let that statement be the last hanging over us.

"Thank you for your assistance," I said, my hand still placed on the doorknob. "I hope you really do care for her, Loki, because those emotions that you're feeling right now of being apart from her is what you're going to feel for the rest of your life."

I didn't wait for a response, nor did I need to see his reaction. I had my closure.

It was time to move on.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: My Blood - Ellie Goulding

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	47. Chapter 47

**VALENCIA**

From the moment that I found myself staring at a blank wall, trapped in another bland room in Stark Tower, I knew my reign was over.

I barely could look at Emerald and Pandora when they finally found Loki and me in Stark Tower. There was no way Emerald would ever forgive me after the words I said to her in that alleyway. A part of me knew I had to be drastic in order to leave that part of my life behind.

What I wasn't expecting was my stomach twisting itself into knots at the thought of leaving them behind.

I was undoubtedly going to pay for my actions.

So, I sat there, locked in another room untouched by our damage to Stark Tower, staring at the walls and assessing my emotional status. It wasn't great, but I finally felt like I was where I was supposed to be. I had someone who cared about me unconditionally, I did something that felt one hundred percent me, and I was not going to regret any more of my actions.

That was a promise.

When the door opened a few hours later, I wasn't expecting to see Emerald or Pandora in front of me, but I definitely wasn't expecting to see Tony Stark.

Glancing up with an eyebrow raised, I did my hardest to put on a cool expression. He was here for a reason, and I had a sneaky feeling that the reason was one Emerald Maitland.

"I was wondering when I was going to get my first visitor," I said with a small smirk. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting you."

Tony shrugged his shoulders, pulling out a chair from the other side of the table and sitting down. "Your two so-called best friends have no desire to visit someone who betrayed them," he replied. "The rest of us drew straws. Guess I was the unlucky one."

"I don't think so," I said, leaning forward in my seat. "I think you wanted to be here. I think you wanted to teach me a lesson, show me what it means to really be a terrorist. Let me give you a head start, Mr. Stark. I already know."

Tony laughed, despite the look of realization dawning on his features, and tried to play my statement off. It wasn't going to work, especially when I had spent the past few months at the side of the god of deception.

"Do you honestly believe-" he started to say, but I didn't entertain it.

"Cut the act," I snapped. "You want to prove to yourself that you can protect the woman that you love. You want to strangle me with your bare hands for how I hurt her, for how I hurt this city. Well, let me tell you, death comes a blessing from the cursed life I used to live. I have no more regrets, Tony, especially not to you."

I tilted my head to one side, not ready to relinquish my control of speech over to him just yet. "Tell me," I continued. "Who admitted it first, you or Emerald? I always thought it would be you. Emerald may be one of the most emotional people I know, but you had the softest heart."

Leaning back in my chair, I rested my gaze on his, waiting for his response. He paused, taking a few deep breaths to gauge my reaction. "That is something you don't deserve to know any more," was all he said.

"Fair enough," I replied with a nod. "I had a sister once. She died when we were kids, the whole cancer thing. The last thing I said to her before she passed was that I loved her." I smirked as I tried to further get under Tony's skin. It was the last little bit of fun I had left in me before I spent the rest of my life locked away.

Tony nodded once, a smirk appearing across his lips in return. "You don't get it," he said softly. "If you were there for Emerald, you would know our story, but you weren't. You no longer have an opinion about any aspect of her life."

I tried my hardest not to show how much his statement hurt. "Then just kill me," I finally said, prompting him one last time. "I know you would love to."

"I'm not going to kill you," he said with a sigh. "The world exists today because we are free to make our own choices. These choices come with consequences. You have to learn what those are."

"And what exactly are my consequences this time?"

Tony paused for a moment, trying to analyze the emotions behind my eyes before he spoke. "Thor will escort Loki back to Asgard alone where you will never see him again," he responded. "And you, my dear, will rot away in my favorite prison where you will serve a life sentence."

"Killing me would be easier."

"Of course, it would," he declared, "which is why I'm not even considering that. You deserve exactly what's coming to you. A place to sit and truly ask yourself if it was worth it in the end."

I raised an eyebrow. "What if I repent?" I questioned, even though I had no idea of doing so.

"This isn't amateur hour," he retorted, getting to his feet without another glance in my direction. "You're a terrorist. You don't get a happy ending."

I was right. There was no point to the conversation at hand here. Tony merely came in to taunt me, to be the one to tell me how I was supposed to live out the rest of my days. I only hoped that I was able to show some defiance in the end.

"Wait."

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could regret what I was about to do. I had one last card to play, and it wasn't noncooperation. It was sympathy.

"There's no use-" Tony started to say, not even turning around to look back at me as he headed for the door.

I stood up slowly, the chair squeaking a pattern underneath me. "If I'm truly going to rot away in prison forever, can you at least do one last thing for me?" I asked, my tone of voice changing completely from before.

"I'm not giving your boyfriend a goodbye kiss," Tony retorted sarcastically, throwing an exasperated glance over his shoulder.

I sighed, waiting until I had Tony's attention before I reached into my jacket pocket. My hand emerged attached to the folded picture I had discovered in Emerald's room. It was clear she had no idea that this picture existed in this universe, otherwise I would have detected some hesitation during our conversation.

Extending my arm, I held the photograph in his direction, raising an eyebrow as he made no move to take it.

"Give this to Em," I said.

Tony still didn't budge. "And why would I do that?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Just open it," I said, sliding the picture across the table towards him. "It's a picture from a long time ago."

"What's in it for you?" Tony questioned, the questions never relenting.

"Scan it, do whatever you want, but it's Emerald's favorite picture of us," I answered simply. "Tell her that not everything is lost, that we'll find the answers we're looking for eventually."

Tony paused, finally picking up the photograph with one hand, examining the picture wordlessly. Another exhale passed through my lips as he refolded it, putting it back in his pocket. He still didn't say anything, but I could see the next question burning on his lips.

"I found it, and it belongs to her," I continued. "It's better coming from you anyway."

"Where-"

I knew this would never stop.

"Stop asking questions that you don't want to know the answers to," I spat, losing my temper with every second that passed. He was aggravating me. "Just… please. Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to rip it in half if that's what you're afraid of."

I shook my head, a sad smile appearing on my lips. "It's not just the picture that I was referring to," I commented after a moment's pause. "Take care of her."

Tony's gaze met mine one more time, and I knew that he would follow up on his word. I could breathe easier knowing that my friends were safe and happy. If nothing else came out of this, at least I had that.

It was a few hours later that I was disturbed from my thoughts yet again. However, when I laid eyes on Thor, a heavy feeling settled in my heart. It was time for us to go.

"It is time to leave," Thor voiced my thoughts aloud, not meeting my eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to look more optimistic than I felt. "Home sweet jail, here I come," I joked.

"You know very well that your actions have brought this upon yourself," Thor replied, not understanding the point of sarcasm.

"I already got the lecture from Tony," I retorted. "I don't need it again."

Getting back to my feet, I held out my hands to be handcuffed. I wasn't going to try any more tricks this time. If Loki could play along, so could I. When I felt the metal snap around my wrists, Thor pulled back with a sad expression written all over his face.

"I wish it did not have to be this way," he said.

I gave him the smallest smile I could manage, despite the looming possibility of never seeing Loki or my friends again. "Well, we all can't get what we want, right?" I teased.

Thor shook his head, grabbing the chain in between my two wrists and leading me out the door. He didn't have to say anything else. Our time together had come to an end.

My feet automatically led me to Central Park without really following where Thor was leading me. I had been to Bethesda Terrace so many times I couldn't count, but this time was different. Police blocked all of the barriers in Central Park to allow us space to breathe. Seeing the park so empty was yet another sign of the loneliness awaiting me.

Emerald wouldn't even look in my direction as she got out of the car with Tony. I wasn't sure how much Tony told her about our encounter, but judging from her appearance, she did not want to be here. Pandora, on the other hand, kept sneaking glances in my direction, but I didn't entertain it. I wasn't going to make this more painful than it had to be.

When we finally reached the center of the terrace, my eyes flickered up to Loki's, a ripple of sadness washing through my body. I wanted so badly to rip the mask off of his face and hear his voice one more time.

I took another deep breath, forcing my emotions down deeper into my system. I had to be strong. I had to be optimistic that I would see him again. After all, he was immortal, and I had plenty of time on my hands now.

For the first time since entering this universe, I finally had an idea of what was going to happen next. It was liberating.

I felt Thor's hand leave my shoulder as he joined Loki's side, holding the Tesseract between them. It was a solemn situation, and yet, I could see the weight lifted off of everyone's shoulders. My eyes never left Loki's as the two gods transported themselves back to Asgard and away from my line of sight.

The sadness slowly melted away as everyone let out a collective sigh around me. I barely noticed the police presence behind me, ready to whisk me off to Tony's prison of choice.

As I finally dared to look around at the people around me, a smile passed across my lips. It gave me hope for a future here in this universe.

I was wrong. My reign wasn't over.

It was simply on hiatus.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: No Rest for the Wicked - Lykke Li

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	48. Chapter 48

**PANDORA**

I let out a loud sigh as soon as Thor and Loki disappeared from our planet. I had been holding it in since we arrived in Central Park, and I knew I would feel uneasy until the moment Valencia was taken away from us. There was a lot involved here. I felt even worse than I had when I started the battle.

At least then, I knew what I had to do. Now, there were endless possibilities at which way the road would turn.

Steve noticed my exhale, glancing in my direction with worriment filling his gaze. "You alright?" he asked me, lifting up his aviator sunglasses to look at me.

I nodded slowly, looking at the policemen taking Valencia away. I decided in less than a split second what I had to do. "I'm alright," I said slowly. "There's just something that I have to do."

"Do you want to head back to the apartment first?" he questioned, not getting where I was going with this.

I flagged down a policeman without answering Steve's inquiry, jogging lightly over to his side. "Can I ride with you to the prison?" I asked. "I… I just want to say goodbye."

There wasn't a second of hesitation, something that shocked me coming from the normally cold authorities.

"Anything for one of the Avengers," he stated before continuing his path back to his cruiser.

Another exhale left my lips as Steve joined me at my side once more. He raised a cautious eyebrow, leaving me to tilt my head to one side. "Don't worry," I said with a sad smile. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Steve took my hand, not even bothering to argue with me. At least, he learned something during our time together. "Be careful," he warned me, squeezing my palm gently before he let it fall back to my side.

I knew what he was implying. Valencia was dangerous, yes, but she was still my friend. Judging from the dark expression filling Emerald's gaze at the current moment, she was in no position to take over the Valencia chronicles from here. It was up to me.

Just as I started to move in the direction of the police cruiser, my blonde friend in question shot me a curious glance. "What's up?" she called over to me, earning my attention in a second.

"Nothing," I stated. "What's next for you and your billionaire philanthropist?"

Emerald smirked, peeking over her shoulder in Tony's direction. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "We're going to take one day at a time."

"I like that," I admitted with a nod. "I'm happy for you." Emerald shot me a knowing look, one that I ignored as I continually changed the subject away from my personal situations. "Just… call me every day, okay?" I pleaded, not ready to relinquish control so easily.

Emerald pulled me into a hug, one hand resting on the back of my head. "I promise," she whispered into my hair.

Another few seconds passed before she pulled away, a sad smile resting on her lips. She looked better than I felt, but I could tell it was going to be awhile before we both felt whole again. Perhaps we never would.

"What happens next?" I murmured, making sure we weren't heard.

She shrugged her shoulders. "We figure it out," she answered almost instantaneously. "It's what we always do."

"This time, we don't have any guidelines," I pointed out.

"Then, we make our own."

Despite the fear threatening to consume my system, Emerald gave me one of her winning smiles, squeezing my hand in the same manner that Steve did. I wasn't sure either of us wanted to let go until Tony called out for Emerald. She released my hand reluctantly, turning back to him.

"Ginger will be around," he teased. "She's always welcome."

I raised a hand towards Tony, nodding a quick farewell. "See ya, Stark!" I called. "Just remember if you hurt my best friend, I'll kill you."

"I'd love to see you try," he retorted in typical Tony fashion, wrapping an arm around Emerald's shoulder.

Chuckling felt good at the moment until I ducked in the backseat of the police car. It was then that all emotions washed right out of me.

Valencia was certainly surprised to see me, judging by the expression on her face. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. "I think you already said your last goodbyes."

"There are ways to get you out of this mess, Val," I said, feeling the car rumble to life under my feet. "I can help you find them."

"No, I don't think you understand," she responded. "I'm not looking for a way out of this mess. This is my punishment for the crimes I committed. Why can't I just own up to my mistakes?"

I tilted my head to one side, my heart clutching at the thought of never seeing her again. True, these actions were her own fault, but I knew the old Valencia I knew was still in there somewhere, even if Emerald didn't want to see it.

"Val," I pleaded. "You can do that and not spend the rest of your life in jail."

"Why?" she retorted, turning to meet my steely gaze. "Because you suddenly care about me?"

My mouth fell open at her comment, and for the first time, I wondered what she said to Emerald to make her so against redemption. There was a time and place for everything, and if there was one thing I knew about Valencia, she never picked the right time or place.

"I just had the love of my life ripped away from me," Valencia continued, pretending not to see my shocked expression. "Going to jail for my actions is the one thing I'm meant to do. I'm finally being honest." She sighed, glancing out the window. "When you find someone that you love more than anyone, Dora, you'll understand."

My chest constricted into knots when she used my nickname, and it almost felt like old times where I would do something irrational and either Emerald or Valencia would scold me back into reality. However, this was different. This was our lives now.

"I do," I responded with a groan. "I love you and Em more than anything else in this world. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you because you are my sisters." I shook my head, trying to appeal to some emotional side of her. "Imagine the pain that I felt when one of my sisters stabs me in the back," I concluded.

Valencia snorted. "So, is that why you're here?" she asked. "One last attempt to save my soul?"

"I'm here because I want my best friend back," I said. "I know that Val I'm thinking of, and I miss her."

"She's dead," Valencia snapped. "She died when she came to the hard truth that you and Em were always there for each other and never for me."

I felt like I had been slapped. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm talking about the fact that people leave, and they don't come back," she said. "Like it or not, I don't want to see you get hurt as I did."

"I can take care of myself."

Valencia practically laughed as she turned herself back around to face me. The handcuffs jingling around her wrists was the only reminder that we were in the back of a police car, and she was about to be a convicted terrorist.

"Can you?" she questioned, tilting her head to one side. "I don't know what's going on with you and Steve, but if you want to protect him, you need to stay away from him. You think you're invincible, but one of these days, you're not going to come back from a mission. Look at Bucky."

My breath started to come in sharp gasps as she continued to speak. "Look at anyone who goes off to war," Valencia swept on with her words. "You can't predict the future. No matter what happens, one of you will die before the other. You will age, he won't. You're going to walk into a mission you can't handle, and you're going to get yourself killed. It's inevitable." She sighed, shaking her head in what seemed like sympathy. "It happens to every agent out there," she said like she knew what she was talking about. "Do you really want Steve to go through that? He's already done it once. Don't make him lose another Peggy."

A tear rolled down my cheek as I turned my gaze out the window passing us by. I tried my hardest not to let her words affect me, but I could feel the despair I felt from earlier washing over me like a tsunami.

I was wrong. Seeing Valencia didn't make me feel better; it only made me feel worse.

"Please, Dora," Valencia murmured under her breath. "Don't come looking for me again. You won't like what you see."

We rolled to a stop in front of the prison, and I practically bolted out of the car. I wasn't prepared for this feeling, and I definitely wasn't prepared what to do next. I thought I had everything figured out with Steve, but the doubts she placed in my mind were consuming me.

I didn't care if I never formally said goodbye. I had to get out of here.

When I finally made it back to the apartment on foot, my brain was a mess. I was thinking way too hard about what Valencia said. She wasn't wrong, and that was the worst part of it all. I wasn't a super soldier. I barely passed my agency test and almost passed out in the middle of the Battle for New York.

Steve opened the door before I could bring myself to put the key in the lock. My breathing patterns were coming in sharp gasps, and I wanted to control myself before I opened myself up to Steve. It looked like I wasn't going to get that chance.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, a look of relief crossing his face at the sight of my unharmed face.

I, however, couldn't look him in the eyes. "I just sent my best friend off to prison," I tried not to snap, pushing past him into our apartment. "How do you think it went?"

"I'm sorry," murmured Steve softly from behind me, his tone of voice falling to one of clear sympathy.

I took a seat on the couch, holding my shaking hands together. As I stared at my fingernails for several minutes, I didn't even flinch when Steve sat down beside me. A thousand thoughts were darting in my head, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to tell Steve everything the way I wanted to.

"I tried to help her," I whispered, my voice refusing to project itself. "She refused. Steve, she's confessing to all of her crimes."

He tilted his head to one side. "Well, that's noble," he pointed out in a failed attempt to make me feel better.

"She may have made a few bad decisions, but she's still as brilliant as ever," I replied, heaving a small sigh. "She always did know best."

I felt his hand touch my shoulder, and this time, I did flinch. I knew he was taken aback without actually looking into his eyes, but there was nothing I could do about this. How was it possible that I lost everything in a matter of hours?

"If you think we can just go back to normal, I don't know what you're thinking," I stated before Steve could say anything. "Everything has changed. We're Avengers now. The world is always in danger. The world is always going to need our help."

A confused expression crossed his face as I finally looked up at him, shoving down the tears threatening to spill over my cheeks. "I'm the superhero," he pointed out, "and I'm not alone."

"Not yet," I clarified. "I'm a SHIELD agent now, Steve. I'm the one who's going to be forced on missions, leaving you behind. You're the one who's going to save people because you feel like it."

"That's not my job, and you know it," Steve said, his confusion growing by the second.

I shook my head. "I'm going to have to leave eventually," I cried. "This doesn't stop with Loki. It will never stop until one of us turns up dead."

Steve looked like I slapped him in the face. I almost cried at the sight of his expression, and yet, I forced myself to stare at my hands again. That was easier.

"Where is this coming from?" he inquired, his mouth falling open in shock. "Did Valencia put this notion in your head?"

"It doesn't matter where it's coming from," I said, getting to my feet and heading into my room.

Opening my closet, I located my black travel bag with my eyes, quickly grabbing it before Steve could intervene again. Sure enough, I heard his footsteps follow me into the room moments later. This was the last moment I was going to have to change my mind about what it was that I wanted, but I knew I couldn't hesitate. The longer I stayed here with Steve, the more likely it was that I would indeed reverse my decision.

"I'm going to Washington tomorrow with Nat and Clint," I announced, folding my arms across my chest. "It's my duty as a SHIELD agent, and it's where I want to be."

That part wasn't exactly the entire truth. I wanted to get better at my job, to get better at something I knew how to do, but my heart still tugged to stay here with my partner.

"Then, let me pack up my things as well," he announced, shrugging his shoulders. "We can head out tonight."

This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Steve, New York is your home," I said. "It's the one place where you've always felt safe. It's where you grew up, where you found your best friends, where you first fell in love. Don't leave it behind because of me."

He took another step closer to me, much to my disapproval. "We're a team, remember?" he said, trying not to show how much my words were affecting me. "We're partners."

"Steve," I pleaded. "You're not coming with me to Washington."

"I'm not going to let you go alone."

It was clear I was going to have to take drastic action. I swallowed the lump threatening to rise in my throat as I tried to summon the courage I would need. If Steve and I remained together, my leaving would kill him, possibly permanently. It was better to rip the band-aid off first.

"I didn't ask for your permission," I said quietly. "I didn't ask for any of this. This is my choice, Steve, and frankly, I want to do it alone. I don't want to end up like your last partner."

Steve clenched his jaw at my words, and while I knew he would forgive me eventually, that day was not going to be today. I slung the bag over my shoulder, nodding in turn with my decision. He would survive this. I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

"I'm sorry," I said before I brushed past him.

I managed to shut the door of the apartment door behind me before the tears started flowing from my eyes. The larger part of my brain was screaming at me to turn around and apologize to him, but I knew the damage was already done. This was something that I wanted, more than anything, and I knew Steve wouldn't survive if he lost me to a mission or whatever SHIELD had me do next.

My decision was final.

I finally stopped crying when my taxi rolled to a stop in front of the private airport Natasha texted the instructions to. My face felt red and puffy, but I only hoped the other two agents wouldn't question it. It was personal business, anyway.

Pulling my phone from my jacket pocket, I dialed one of the only numbers I knew by heart, pressing the phone to my ear as if my life depended on it. A familiar voicemail message sounded, clicking its tone.

"Hey Em," I spoke quietly as I clambered out of the cab. "I'm heading to DC. I don't know what's happening, and I don't know what missions they're going to send me on. I wish I knew when I could talk to you next, but I'll be okay. This is what I want to do. I just… I love you a lot, Maitland. Stay safe, both of you."

I practically stabbed the end call button with my finger before I forced a smile on my face. Natasha and Clint were standing there, twinning grins spreading across their lips at the sight of me.

"You ready?" Natasha questioned, raising an eyebrow cockily.

I hesitated for just one more second before nodding. I knew if I got on this plane, my entire life would change. I would have Natasha Romanoff as my supervising officer, I would be a full-time Avenger and SHIELD agent, and most of all, I would be going through this alone.

Surprisingly, the guilt that I felt earlier had washed away with my insecurity. I was finally doing something for me. Perhaps this was what Valencia had felt the entire time.

She always was right.

"Hit me with your best shot, Romanoff," I said before I boarded the plane.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Dead Hearts - Stars

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	49. Chapter 49

**EMERALD**

When Tony and I pulled up in front of Stark Tower, I took a minute to just stand there, staring at the chunks of the building missing. If I closed my eyes and pretended the destruction wasn't there, I would have thought I dreamt the whole thing.

I felt Tony's hand on my back, jerking me out of my thoughts, before I gave him a soft smile. This wasn't just a damaged zone anymore. This was going to be our home.

Tony knew that I was still processing the entire event of the past few hours, but for the first time, I felt free. The battle was over, I had no idea what was coming next, and for once, it didn't matter. I couldn't ruin the timeline of events that I didn't even know. I had a future ahead of me.

It was a few hours later that I found myself standing in a broken window on the 52nd floor of Stark Tower, staring at the ruins below me. The breeze from this high up on the skyscraper felt nice against my bare arms. Sure, I was going to have to sleep in a building that looked like it could topple over at any minute, but it would get better. It always did.

Footsteps sounded from behind me, and I realized Tony found my hiding spot. I wanted a moment to breathe before I faced the reality that Tony and I were a very real scenario now. It was thrilling, yes, but also terrifying at the same time.

I was at this man's side for the past few months, and yet, this was different. We were about to embark on a totally different adventure.

"It's surreal from up here," I voiced aloud when he didn't make a move closer to my side. He was giving me space. "Almost like I imagined the entire thing."

Tony chuckled from behind me. "I hope you're not planning on jumping," he teased.

"Just because I shipped my best friend off to jail doesn't mean I'm suicidal," I said, shaking my head. I took a step back into the room, turning around with a smile on my face. "I have someone else to live for."

He pretended to look around the room before he grinned back in my direction. "Oh, you were talking about me?" he questioned, sarcasm dripping off of his tongue. "I thought Ginger was in the room behind me."

I swatted him playfully on the shoulder. "Hush," I scolded. "It was always you from the start."

"Are you saying you've had a crush on me since the day we met?"

Tony just couldn't help himself, but I learned from the best.

"Are you saying you haven't?" I taunted right back, sending a smirk in his direction. For once, this simple banter felt like a little piece of normalcy. I could get used to this.

Tony breathed out a long sigh before he rested his hands on top of mine. "I don't think Val's a lost cause," he said, ruining the moment. "She's still there somewhere, despite it all."

I wondered again what the pair spoke about when he went to visit Valencia in her cell of a spare room. If it was anything like the final conversation we had, I was surprised at how calm he was.

"Whatever is left is buried too far down for me to see anymore," I replied, dropping my hands to my side. I tried my hardest to fight back down the latest wave of emotions that washed over me. "It's going to take some time, but we'll both move on. She's just been… my closest friend since I can remember, and seeing her like that just killed me."

Tony could sense my heart breaking with every second that passed, and I was thankful for the opportunity he took to pull me into a hug. I hadn't realized how much I needed it.

Letting my arms wrap around him, I let my head rest on his shoulder, capturing this moment in my mind. The heat from his body was comforting and allowed me to relax my mind for once.

"She's not a bad person," Tony whispered, and I could feel his vibrations against my chest. "I can see that, but it's the bad decisions from Loki that turned her into… that."

"I just wished I could have saved her," I murmured against Tony's neck.

He pulled back a moment later, tilting his head to one side.

"You did."

This time, it was my turn to be confused. "What?" I questioned.

"She wanted to die, she practically begged me to kill her," he continued. "When she saw me, all she could talk about was you. It was you that caused her to own up to her actions. I'm not sure what you said or did to her, but it worked."

My mouth opened and closed several times as my brain searched for a proper response. In the meantime, Tony reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. I frowned as he handed it over, half grateful for the distraction from my thoughts but mostly curious as to where he was going with this.

"Valencia told me to give you this," Tony said. "She didn't think she could do it herself, and she wanted me to look like the hero that she couldn't be."

As I unfolded the piece of paper now in my own hands, I was pretty sure my heart stopped beating for a moment. It wasn't a piece of paper, it was a folded photograph, one that I never thought I would see again.

My blood turned to ice, and it had nothing to do with the draft coming in from the broken window. The last time I saw this picture, it was resting on my nightstand next to my bed back in the old version of New York. There was no possible way it could be in this universe.

"Where-" I started to question, unable to meet Tony's eyes.

A second passed, and I suddenly grew anxious that Valencia had told Tony the truth about our pasts. I set those worries to rest moments later when Tony shook his head.

"She wouldn't discuss a damn thing," he said with a small chuckle. "She's worse than you are."

I smiled down at the photograph even though my heart was pounding through my chest. Just when I thought all of the questions were answered, more arose. If this picture was here, then that meant the portal to our universe was still open, and someone knew how to access it.

Placing the picture down on the table next to me, I turned back to Tony with a small smile. "We took that the day of our high school graduation," I replied. "We were laughing at Pandora because she still had another two years ahead of her. It's my favorite picture of us. We just… all look so happy and carefree before everything went wrong." I paused, glancing back up at my partner. "The last time I saw this was in my room back in… back in New York when I was with the Council. How could she possibly have found this?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Consider it a peace offering," he suggested. "Maybe your friend that you knew is still in there somewhere."

I heaved a large sigh, tucking my thoughts in the back of my head. I would deal with this discovery another day. Today was already long enough.

"Thank you," I breathed out. "Not just for this, but for everything."

He flashed his winning smile in my direction. It was clear he was obviously trying to get my mind off of everything, and while I appreciated it, I knew I needed time to process. I lost both of my best friends in a matter of hours, one to her own demons and the other to a government agency that wanted to send her on missions far away from me.

"Hey," Tony said, distracting me from my brain once again. "Isn't this what boyfriends do?"

I also apparently gained a boyfriend in the same amount of time.

"Is that what we are, officially?" I questioned, afraid of his answer.

To be honest, I was surprised that he said anything in the first place. Tony did not seem like the person to put labels on things so quickly. We hadn't even been on an official date yet, and yet, I felt like we had been together for a lifetime. We were way beyond labels.

Tony stuttered over himself at my question, and I knew I caused him instant panic. "I mean-" he replied. "I didn't-"

Saving him from the humiliation, I let out a tiny chuckle, cutting him off. "Calm down, Stark," I reassured him. "I just think we're way past the typical stages. You're the only one that I can imagine spending the rest of my days with." I paused. "When I said that I loved you, I didn't mean it lightly."

"I'm new to this whole relationship thing," he said softly, shaking his head. "I know that this feeling has been developing for a long time, and I'm certain-"

He was too much.

I wasn't going to let him suffer any longer. Closing the gap between us, I shut him up with my lips, kissing him with all of those feelings he was babbling about. That, at least, we knew how to do.

"Stop trying to be sappy," I said with a smirk. "It's out of your character."

"Not complaining one bit," he replied, kissing me again.

When we finally separated, I laughed again, the entire situation seeming unreal to me. "Let's never stop doing that," I said, the chuckle never fading from my lips once. It felt really nice to laugh again. "So, what happens next? How do we rebuild this thing?"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," he responded, mimicking my laugh. "There's a lot of work to be done both here and in Malibu, and I don't exactly think terrorists around the world are sleeping either."

I nodded. "Then, we go out and stop them like we always have, together."

"That reminds me."

Tony stretched out his arm towards me, extending his hand for me to take. I accepted it without question, even though the better part of me was curious what he was up to. He squeezed my hand with another smile – this had to be some sort of record – and he led me back into the elevator.

I turned my head to the side, giving him a questionable look, but he wasn't budging.

The elevator dinged when we reached the floor of Tony's workshop. This only made me even more suspicious. We stepped over broken wires, sparking on the ground, but he barely seemed to notice. We definitely had a lot of cleaning up to do.

"I made this a long time ago," he said, leading up to the big reveal, "and I didn't get the chance to give it to you before you pretended to die."

I winced slightly as I tilted my head to one side. "It sounds worse and worse every time you say it," I commented, stopping in my place.

"Excuse me," Tony replied, gesturing for me to continue following him. "I'm trying to do a nice thing."

I held my hands in the air. "Sorry, sorry, continue."

"I wish you could have used it in the battle," he continued, "but I think that you'll find some use for it now."

We rounded the corner, and I immediately stopped dead in my tracks. My mouth almost fell open as I laid eyes on a brand-new feminine version of an Iron Man suit. If I had wandered in here by myself and noticed it, I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance. It looked exactly like Tony's signature suit, just smaller.

"Oh my God," I breathed out. "Is that…" I trailed off, unable to formulate words.

Tony's smirk only grew wider at the sight of my expression. "Better than flying a plane?" he questioned.

"Oh my God," I repeated. "You did not."

"I actually did," he replied, enjoying every second of this moment. "I told you, this was a long time com-"

He didn't even finish his statement. I squealed out loud, immediately enveloping him in a giant bear hug. This was one of the greatest gifts I had ever received, and I had no idea how to thank him.

"Who needs jewelry anyway?" I teased, squeezing him tightly. "Tony, I-" I broke off, releasing him from my grasp and wandering over to the suit itself. "Seriously, thank you."

I ran my fingertips over the cool metal of the suit, enjoying the feel of the gears under my skin. It was everything I could have imagined and more.

"So," Tony purred from behind me. "What do you say that we take her out for a test run?" He didn't even wait for my response, already knowing my answer. "JARVIS?"

"At your command, sir," the AI immediately responded.

"You ready to suit up?" Tony whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I smiled. "Absolutely."

As the suits split themselves apart, I followed Tony's lead, stepping onto the platform slowly. In a second, the gears whirred themselves to life, molding the metal around our bodies. It was mesmerizing and exactly what I thought this sensation would feel like.

When the face mask closed over my eyes, I breathed out a long sigh before JARVIS clicked on, signaling the suit's activity. "Welcome, Miss Maitland, we've been expecting you," he said in his British slang.

I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that Tony programmed almost everything JARVIS said. "I've missed you too, JARVIS," I teased right back, unable to keep the grin off of my lips, before I turned around, facing Tony in his equal suit. "Tony, this is amazing."

I glanced down at my hands, hearing the metal shift in place as I moved. This was so much better than a plane.

Before I could even begin to explore more of the suit's capability, however, a ringing noise surrounded my ears. Apparently, my cell phone was already pre-programmed in the suit, rerouting my calls to JARVIS. Pandora's face appeared a second later, along with JARVIS's voice announcing her message.

"It's Pandora," I explained to Tony apologetically. "I know I told her to call every day, but I literally just saw her a few hours ago."

Tony shrugged. "Let it go," he said. "You'll call her back later."

I hesitated, my brain immediately thinking of all of the horrible things that could be happening to her in the small amount of time that passed since I saw her last. I didn't want to set a precedent for ignoring her. Tony caught on to my train of thought almost instantly. No wonder we were made to be partners.

"Em, if you answer, you won't be able to catch up," he taunted, firing up his jets. I should have known this was coming.

I barely had a second to breathe before I was already being thrown into the deep end. At least when Tony built his first suit, he was prepared to test it. I had no idea what I was doing, but then again, I had no idea what I was doing next. There were no more rules.

Looking over at Tony flying next to me, the smile instantly returned across my face. I no longer needed rules.

It was time for me to build my own future.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Where Do We Go From Here - Ruelle

[Full Playlist Link located at beginning of first chapter.]


	50. Epilogue

I bet you're wondering what happens next. Superheroes save the day, the girls get the guys (well, at least one of us did), evil is defeated in the end, and before you blinked, we were intertwined in this so-called mess further than we could have ever thought.

Did we ever return back to our normal lives? No. We never truly figured out the mysteries and complications that brought us here in the first place; getting back the way we came seemed highly improbable. Even if we were given the chance, I'm not sure if we would honestly take it. We finally had a place in a world where we belonged. We had somewhere that we fit in, despite the people who tried to shut us out. We had something to fight for now. Going back to our daily lives, the same old routines repeated over and over again, was only a bad dream. It seemed so long ago that we had gotten wrapped up in all of this, and while we constantly wondered what had happened to "us" back in our real world, we never regretted a thing.

The tipping point was, in fact, love. We all had found someone who we loved so much that we would do anything for. We all showed our true characters in the face in danger. We missed the old versions of us every day, but we knew that we were in this for the long haul. Love makes one do crazy things, we can all truly understand, and forgiveness is even harder to comprehend in these types of situations. Somehow, we managed.

We adapted, we survived.

For once, the world was at peace, and it was due to us. However, as we suspected, the gloom and doom was far from over.

But that, my friends, is a tale for another day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your wonderful love and support with this story. I didn't realize how popular Emerald, Valencia and Pandora would become. I started this because I wanted a new reader insert story that was not the typical one, and you know I can't resist my plot twists. I've loved reading your comments, hearing your favorite characters, and of course laughing at your predictions because who could predict any of this? It's because of you all that I write this, and the others to come.

Yes, that's correct. Emerald, Valencia and Pandora will be back in a dash. This is just the first in many stories to come.

So, be sure to keep an eye out for the next installment, "You'll Never See Me Coming," and subscribe/follow my page for updates to come! I promise, it'll be worth it.

Xoxo, Zenappa

There Was An Idea Spotify Playlist: playlist/1ybjByQ3E1bwJl0yNzyrVx?si=n78jtxQnTd-RvYs_b5zcIw


End file.
